Ecoinformatics for Integrated Pest Management: Expanding the Applied Insect Ecologist's Tool-Kit

Abstract

Experimentation has been the cornerstone of much of integrated pest management (IPM) research. Here, we aim to open a discussion on the possible merits of expanding the use of observational studies, and in particular the use of data from farmers or private pest management consultants in "ecoinformatics" studies, as tools that might complement traditional, experimental research. The manifold advantages of experimentation are widely appreciated: experiments provide definitive inferences regarding causal relationships between key variables, can produce uniform and high-quality data sets, and are highly flexible in the treatments that can be evaluated. Perhaps less widely considered, however, are the possible disadvantages of experimental research. Using the yield-impact study to focus the discussion, we address some reasons why observational or ecoinformatics approaches might be attractive as complements to experimentation. A survey of the literature suggests that many contemporary yield-impact studies lack sufficient statistical power to resolve the small, but economically important, effects on crop yield that shape pest management decision-making by farmers. Ecoinformatics-based data sets can be substantially larger than experimental data sets and therefore hold out the promise of enhanced power. Ecoinformatics approaches also address problems at the spatial and temporal scales at which farming is conducted, can achieve higher levels of "external validity," and can allow researchers to efficiently screen many variables during the initial, exploratory phases of research projects. Experimental, observational, and ecoinformatics-based approaches may, if used together, provide more efficient solutions to problems in pest management than can any single approach, used in isolation.

Explaining Andean Potato Weevils in Relation to Local and Landscape Features: A Facilitated Ecoinformatics Approach

“…However, we failed to see a correlation between infestations and harvest date presumably because farmers were adjusting their harvest date based on monitoring tuber infestations. Accordingly, observational studies in pest management demand cautious interpretation, and they are most powerful when coupled with manipulative experiments conclusively-testing variables of interest [5].…”

“…A greater reliance on ecoinformatics in agriculture is well justified by its unique ability to generate large datasets that capture the true spatial and temporal scale of commercial agriculture [5]. As illustrated above, however, ecoinformatics datasets are observational, and therefore are poorly suited to elicit definitive causal inferences.…”

“…An underexploited opportunity exists to address research questions using data routinely generated by farmers and agricultural consultants through their record-keeping activities [1]–[5]. This research approach falls under the umbrella of ecoinformatics, an emerging field in ecology that is thought to hold particular promise for integrated pest management (IPM) research [5]. There is no uniform definition for “ecoinformatics;” but its scope covers the management, integration and analysis of diverse streams of data to answer complex questions in ecology.…”

An Observatory Plot System for Grain Production in the Neotropical Savannas

“…Its specific design, however, responds to our interest in identifying management by environment interactions characterizing the potential for site-specific grain agriculture in the region. Our approach is informed by the rapidly growing literature demonstrating the promise of ecoinformatics approaches to streamline agricultural research [13][14][15][16][17][18]. Based on these experiences, we believe our Dataset Paper holds significant potential to facilitate a quantum leap in agricultural research for the development of the Colombian savannas.…”

Spatial Spread of the Root Parasitic Weed Phelipanche aegyptiaca in Processing Tomatoes by Using Ecoinformatics and Spatial Analysis†

“…It has been proposed that ecoinformatics approaches, which are based on large quantities of data, should be used to address ecological questions in agricultural eco-systems at larger spatial and temporal scales than are typically feasible within an experimental framework (Rosenheim et al, 2011). Indeed, ecoinformatics approaches have been used to reveal the effect of crop rotation histories on cotton yield (Meisner and Rosenheim, 2014); the effects of local and landscape factors on pest distribution (Carrière et al, 2012; Parsa et al, 2012); and the effect of soil and bioclimatic factors on the infestation level of tobacco by species of Phelipanche (Lyra et al, 2016).…”