Ranking beneficial insects in Australian cotton crops

We are conducting a short survey of crop consultants to better understand which natural enemies are considered most important for pest suppression in cotton production systems in Australia.

Your responses will help identify the predators and parasitoids that consultants and agronomists consider most influential in supporting biological control in cotton. This information will help guide future research and extension activities within IPM-related topics. The survey should take approximately 5 – 10 minutes to complete. Your responses will be kept confidential and reported only in aggregated form. For any questions, please contact Sharna Holman, sharna.holman@dpi.qld.gov.au

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1. What best describes your role?

Independent consultant/agronomist

Agronomist with a reseller (commercial agronomist)

Research agronomist

Other (please specify)

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2. How many years’ experience do you have working in cotton?

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3. What region do you predominantly work in?

Northern Australia – WA, NT and/or FNQ

Central Queensland

Darling Downs

Macintyre

St George / Dirrandbandi

Mungindi

Gwydir

Namoi

Macquarie

Southern NSW

Liverpool Plains

Other (please specify)

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4. What does integrated pest management (IPM) mean to you in the context of Australian cotton systems?

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5. In your experience, what are the main barriers to implementing IPM practices in Australian cotton systems?

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6. How do you typically assess natural enemy populations when scouting cotton crops? (Select all that apply)

I do not routinely assess natural enemies

I record presence/absence of natural enemies

I estimate relative abundance (e.g. low, moderate, high)

I count or sample key natural enemy groups

I record observations in a scouting record or database

Other (please specify)

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7. How often do observations of natural enemy populations influence your pest management recommendations?

Always

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

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8. How do observations of natural enemy populations influence your pest management decisions or recommendations? Please provide examples.

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9. Please rank the following cotton pests according to how much you believe they benefit from suppression by natural enemies (predators, parasitoids), where 1 = benefits the most and 8 = benefits the least.

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10. In your experience, which natural enemies are most important for suppressing key insect pests in cotton systems?

Please select and rank the five natural enemies you consider most important for biological control, with 1 = most important and 5 = fifth most important.

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11. What factors most influenced your ranking of the natural enemies above? (Select up to three)

Consistently observed during scouting

Easy to identify during scouting

Suppresses multiple pest species

Effective against pests of importance

Can reduce the need for insecticide applications

Responds quickly to pest outbreaks

Supported by research and extension information

Personal field experience observing pest suppression

Compatible with current farming practices

Easy to communicate to growers

Can be purchased or released as part of an augmented biological program

Other (please specify)

Ranking beneficial insects in Australian cotton crops

Question Title

* 1. What best describes your role?

Question Title

* 2. How many years’ experience do you have working in cotton?

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* 3. What region do you predominantly work in?

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* 4. What does integrated pest management (IPM) mean to you in the context of Australian cotton systems?

Question Title

* 5. In your experience, what are the main barriers to implementing IPM practices in Australian cotton systems?

Question Title

* 6. How do you typically assess natural enemy populations when scouting cotton crops? (Select all that apply)

Question Title

* 7. How often do observations of natural enemy populations influence your pest management recommendations?

Question Title

* 8. How do observations of natural enemy populations influence your pest management decisions or recommendations? Please provide examples.

Question Title

* 9. Please rank the following cotton pests according to how much you believe they benefit from suppression by natural enemies (predators, parasitoids), where 1 = benefits the most and 8 = benefits the least.

Question Title

* 10. In your experience, which natural enemies are most important for suppressing key insect pests in cotton systems?Please select and rank the five natural enemies you consider most important for biological control, with 1 = most important and 5 = fifth most important.

Question Title

* 11. What factors most influenced your ranking of the natural enemies above? (Select up to three)

1. What best describes your role?

2. How many years’ experience do you have working in cotton?

3. What region do you predominantly work in?

4. What does integrated pest management (IPM) mean to you in the context of Australian cotton systems?

5. In your experience, what are the main barriers to implementing IPM practices in Australian cotton systems?

6. How do you typically assess natural enemy populations when scouting cotton crops? (Select all that apply)

7. How often do observations of natural enemy populations influence your pest management recommendations?

8. How do observations of natural enemy populations influence your pest management decisions or recommendations? Please provide examples.

9. Please rank the following cotton pests according to how much you believe they benefit from suppression by natural enemies (predators, parasitoids), where 1 = benefits the most and 8 = benefits the least.

10. In your experience, which natural enemies are most important for suppressing key insect pests in cotton systems?

Please select and rank the five natural enemies you consider most important for biological control, with 1 = most important and 5 = fifth most important.

11. What factors most influenced your ranking of the natural enemies above? (Select up to three)