Biotic and abiotic factors affecting cotton aphid population dynamics have been identified. A model has been constructed using a distributed-delay protocol. In this approach, the lifespan of an aphid is divided into several age classes or time-steps. Variation in developmental times is simulated so that some individuals age normally to reach to the next time-step while some age slower or faster. Fecundity and mortality schedules are applied each time-step as individuals move through stages. The program then accumulates number of individuals across all stages to determine the population size. The model is constructed in a spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel. The input data will include climatic and plant quality variables. The user will have options to select graphical or tabular presentation of output. This modeling approach is unique because producers can use readily available Excel software to time their agronomic inputs to minimize cotton aphid problems.
Species 1: Homoptera Aphididae Aphis gossypii (cotton aphid)
Keywords: cotton
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA