Distribution and fixed-precision sampling plans for diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), on winter-spring cabbage

The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella L.) is the most destructive insect pest on cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.). Infestation by this pest usually results in the indiscriminate use of insecticides by farmers due to a lack of sampling plans for this pest. Sampling plans for P. xylostella management decisions on winter-spring cabbage in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were developed, through population monitoring that comprised weekly counts of immature stages of P. xylostella on 60 plants for 11 wk each during the winter and spring seasons. The mean density-variance relationship was used to describe the distribution of the pest, and number of infested plants was used to develop a fixed-precision sampling plan. All plant growth stages preceding maturation were vulnerable to P. xylostella damage resulting in yield losses. A high aggregation of P. xylostella on cabbage was observed in spring than in winter. The average sample number to estimate P. xylostella density within a 15% standard error of the mean was 35 plants. Furthermore, the estimated plant proportion action threshold (AT) was 51% with density action thresholds of 0.50 and 0.80 for spring and winter, respectively. Fitting P. xylostella cumulative counts in the winter and spring sampling plans resulted in 100% and 45% reduction in insecticide treatments. The similarity of sample size and ATs between both seasons provides evidence that a single sampling plan is practical for all cabbage growing seasons. The similarity of the estimated ATs to those acceptable in established integrated pest management programs indicates reliability.