Binomial Sequential Sampling Plans and Decision Support Algorithms for Managing the Russian Wheat Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) in Small Grains

Abstract

A sequential-interval procedure was developed to calculate upper and lower stop values of binomial sequential sampling models for the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov), infesting small grains. This procedure was developed for economic thresholds of 5, 10, and 20% infested tillers and will calculate upper and lower stop values for most proportions of maximum allowable sequential errors between 0.01 and 0.5. Average sample number and proportion of incorrect classification curves were established with three binomial sequential sampling models. In addition, the influence of maximum allowable number of samples and three terminal-error philosophies on the proportion of incorrect classifications was investigated. The sequential-interval procedure was tested via computer-simulated sampling experiments and field evaluations in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, and Wyoming. A computer program enabled users to produce easily sequential sampling stop values via the sequential-interval procedure.