An existing system model was modified to simulate the population dynamics of aster leafhoppers and infection of aster yellows in carrot fields. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to test leafhoppers for infection; a carrot variety trial was sampled weekly from May to Aug. 2001 to follow leafhopper and aster yellows dynamics; Sticky traps were put in different host fields to supply information on host preferences and local dispersal; five commercial carrot fields were also sampled for leafhoppers and infection to compare with the simulation results from the model. Geo-statistics and geographic information system (GIS) were applied to analyze the spatial dynamic of the insects and diseases. The model will be further applied to evaluate chemical control strategies in the carrot production region.
Key words: Macrosteles quadrilineatus; polymerase chain reaction, spatial analysis, host preference, geographic information system
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA