Crescimento populacional de Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) em trigo: uma aproximação por simulação

Abstract

The wheat (Triticum aestivum) stands out as one of the main foods at present. Wheat yields are influenced by factors like the weather, diseases, insect pests, soil, among others. One of the main problems faced by the farmers are the insect pests and diseases that damage their crops. The aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus, 1758), is one of the most important insects feeding on cereals due to its wide geographical distribution and abundance. In Brazil, the economic losses associated with this aphid mostly result from the barley yellow-dwarf virus transmission. The academic and commercial interest in building specialized systems to aphid identification, the population growth, and the current damages motivates for the development of decision support systems. Simulation models based on agents can account for complex processes involved in individual behavior in a heterogeneous space. The objective of this work was to parameterize a simulation model based agents (ABISM: Agent-Based Insect Simulation Model). The model simulates R. padi population growth on wheat plants with fluctuating temperature and different time of infestation. The effect of R. padi on wheat yield was simulated as well. The specific objectives were: a) to develop and implement a graphic interface for the execution of simulations and data visualization. b) to configure the development and reproduction modules in ABISM to respond to different thermal regimes. c) to develop an architecture for the integration of ABISM a wheat simulation model. The coupled simulation models can simulate the population growth of R. padi and its effect in the wheat growth and final grain yield.