NPDN 2007 Meeting - An interactive, multi-entry key for diagnosing arthropod pests, diseases and abiotic disorders associated with the production of wheat

NPDN National Meeting 2007

Poster Abstract

An interactive, multi-entry key for diagnosing arthropod pests, diseases and abiotic disorders associated with the production of wheat

Authors: Ronda D. Koski (1), NED A. TISSERAT (1), Will T. Lanier (2)

Affiliations: (1) Colorado State University; (2) Montana State University

A successful integrated pest management program is dependent upon rapid and accurate identification of the cause of a problem. Wheat producers need easily accessible diagnostic resources that are linked to current management recommendations. Information pertaining to arthropod pests, diseases and abiotic disorders associated with wheat and other small grains currently exists in various formats including books, compendia, and facts sheets, and much of this information is available via the Internet. While these are informative resources, they are not organized into a diagnostic package. Recently available software programs allow for the development and deployment of interactive multi-entry keys. Numerous multi-entry keys currently exist to assist in the identification of various groups of organisms. Multi-entry keys are unique in that they allow the user to identify their specimen by choosing features that describe the specimen; entities that do not match the chosen features are progressively eliminated until only one or a few possible entities remain. Relevant fact sheets, images, and web sites can be linked to features and entities to provide further information for confirming identification. A multi-entry key to aid in the identification and management of problems associated with the production of wheat is being constructed.

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