The document outlines the steps for designing a pest surveillance plan, including: 1) defining objectives; 2) identifying target pests and hosts; 3) reviewing previous surveys; 4) identifying survey areas and methods for site selection; 5) calculating sample sizes; 6) determining survey timing and frequency; 7) planning data collection; 8) collecting specimens and data; 9) storing data electronically; 10) conducting a pilot study; 11) performing the survey; 12) analyzing data; and 13) reporting results. The plan helps ensure surveillance provides accurate, reliable information on pest status and population trends over time.

1. PRINCIPLES OF SAMPLING AND
SURVEILLANCE
VINEETHA V
2018-21-038
1

2. INTRODUCTION
Pest survey
• Detailed collection of insect population
information at a particular time in a given area
Pest surveillance
• Regular surveys of same place or locality at
consistent intervals to assess the changes in
pest species over a time
2

3. ... INTRODUCTION
• Word – surveillance and monitoring used
synonymously
• Monitoring involves – determining no. and life stages
of pest in a location only
• In addition surveillance includes loss assessments,
economic & other benefits – control measures
3

4. PEST SURVEY - TYPES
• Qualitative survey
• Aims at pest detection
• provide list of pest sp. along with reference like
common, abundant , rare
• employed with newly introduced pest to know
extent of infestation
• Adopted at int. borders
4

5. ... PEST SURVEY - TYPES
• Quantitative survey
• Defines numerally the abundance of pest in time and
space
• Provides information on damaging potential of a
species – predict future population trends
• Provides basis for adopting control measures by
farmers
5

6. ... PEST SURVEY - TYPES
• Fixed plot survey
• Pest population or damage is assessed from a fixed
plot selected in field
• Data recorded regularly from sowing –harvest from
the same plot
• Data used for developing forecasting models
• Direct counting on plants, light traps, sticky traps,
pheromone traps – for this survey
6

7. ... PEST SURVEY - TYPES
• Rapid/Roving survey
• Assessment of pest population/damage from
randomly selected spots in a short period of time
over a large area
• Helps in determining timing of adopting appropriate
control measures
• Surveys made to monitor initial development of
pests in endemic areas in beginning of crop season
7

8. Pest surveillance
Basic components
• Identification of pest
• Determining the stage
• Population density of pest and natural
enemies
• Estimating loss the pest sp. may cause
• Economic benefits
8

9. Objectives of surveillance
• To monitor, when pest population reaches the
economic threshold level
• To estimate the crop losses caused by pest
• To study changing pest status from minor to major in
a crop ecosystem - enables to determine research
priorities
• To monitor development of biotypes, resistance to
insecticides, resurgence
9

10. ...Objectives
• To monitor invasion of new pest species in a local
ecosystem
• To determine rate of spread of exotic pest that has
already been established
• Study influence of weather parameters on pest by
recording changes in density of pest population
• To assess natural enemies population and their influence
in a particular cropping system - different seasons.
10

11. Step 1: Defining an objective
• Record the title of your survey
• Record the purpose of surveying
11

12. Record the purpose of surveying
• to develop a list of pests or hosts present in an area
• to demonstrate a pest-free area or places of low pest
prevalence for trade purposes
• to develop a baseline list of pests before ongoing
monitoring for changes in pest status
• for pest management and control
• for early detection of exotic pests
• for early detection of established organisms becoming
pests
• to monitor progress in a pest eradication campaign.
12

13. Step 2. Identification of target pests
• Finding information on pests—their life cycles and
identifiable characteristics
– Information on exotic pests - obtained from countries
where the pest is known to be present.
– contacting the agricultural dept. of the government
(the NPPO), published material or by searching the
Internet
– Numerous lists, databases that describe a wide range
of pests, e.g. CABI -Crop Protection Compendium.
13

14. .....Identification of target pests
Other sources could be:
• existing PRA reports, either conducted by our own
country or by agencies of other countries
• reference collections of insect pests and plant
pathogens of agricultural importance
• pest and disease interception databases from
quarantine authorities - the Internet
14

15. ...Step 2. Identify target pests
• Record the names of the pest.
• Record the importance of the pest.
• Record the diagnostic characteristics of the
pest, including the life cycle.
• Create any pest information sheets to use in
the field.
15

16. Step 3: Identify target host(s)
3.1. Host names
• List the common and scientific names of targeted host plants.
3.2. Value of host or commodity
• Importance of hosts; eg., nutritional value to small
communities, and their national or regional economic
importance.
3.3. Growth habits and life cycle of host plants
• Growth habits of each host and any aspects of their life cycle
that are relevant to the diagnosis of the pests to be
investigated.
16

17. ... Identify target host(s)
3.4. Accessibility of the host plants
• Consider the vegetation and the areas in which the
pest will be surveyed.
3.5. Regional distribution of the host
• Describe the distribution of the host in the
country/region of interest.
17

18. ...Step 3: Identify target host(s)
• Record the names of the host plants.
• Record the importance of the host plants.
• Record the growth habits of the host plants.
• Record the likely accessibility if considering a specific
survey.
• Record the regional distribution of the host plants.
• Record alternative pest reservoirs.
18

19. Step 4. Review of earlier survey plans
• Collect any accessible survey or surveillance plans or
reports.
• Contact NPPO and ask the people there if they have any
existing plans
• Find out if your colleagues or others in your organisation
have designed any surveillance plan
• These reports may provide you with useful information
as you continue to design your plan
19

20. Step 5. Identifying the survey area
• Identifying the possible survey places, field sites and
sampling sites
• The area is either the entire country or a clearly
defined part of the country around which effective
quarantine measures can be established.
• Provide brief details on the climate, topography and
geographic coordinates.
20

21. Step 6. Methods for choosing sites
6.1 When you know which sites and how many to
survey
Some surveys have to be targeted to particular places, field sites
or sampling sites.
• A delimiting survey - involves looking at a pest infestation
site that are determined by circumstance
• Conducted to establish boundaries of an area, considered to
be infested by pest of concern
• working out how far the pest has spread and how it might
have arrived
21

22. ... Methods for choosing sites
• In high-risk site surveillance—those sites where an exotic pest
is likely to first appear and surrounding areas, such as sea and
airports - Targeted site surveillance
• Blitz surveys - choosing a targeted field site (place, district
and area are already known) and then performing an
intensive and fast, ‘full sample’ at the sampling site level.
• Conducted at high risk areas (port areas) –warrents huge
expenditure & expert services
22

23. 6.2 When you need to choose which sites to
survey
• Logistical and physical constraints
• Pattern of spread of the pest
• Surveying all sites
• Surveying some sites
23

24. Logistical and physical constraints
• Here look at all places, field sites and sampling sites
that are in the districts of concern
• If unable to perform – identify your constraints and
attempt to quantify these limitations
• Identify how many sample points and sampling sites
you can feasibly survey within the limitations you
may have
24

25. Pattern of spread of the pest
• Understanding how the pest spreads across a
crop or other sites will affect and specific
surveys are planned.
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26. Surveying all sites
• If you choose to do all the sites at any one level, this
is called full sampling of that level
• Full sampling provides the most detailed data of all
the survey types
• Another source of robust data - people who work at
the field sites
• If there are people very familiar with the site and
the targeted pests – can narrow the search -
Crop/forest worker observations. 26

27. Surveying some sites
• To do this you can use one or a combination of four tools.
• Random sampling - assigning all sites (of the same level) a
number or symbol and then by using a random number
generation method, the sites are selected and recorded.
• The second, systematic sampling – first sample is taken at one
reference point and subsequent sampling is done at fixed
intervals.
– Involves best combination of reliability and cost
– Particular area followed through growing area to collect samples
27

28. ... Surveying some sites
• The third - Stratification, when there is great variability in
sampling area, habitat is divide into different strata based on
the variation with respect to particular character from which
random samples are taken
• This involves dividing the sites into logical categories and then
systematically or randomly choosing sites from within the
categories.
• The fourth - targeted site selection - sites are chosen based on
where the pest is most likely to be, thereby deliberately
biasing the selection process in favour of finding the pest.
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29. • Record method for choosing places to survey.
• Record method for choosing field sites to survey.
• Record method for choosing sampling sites to survey.
• Tabulate all possible places, field sites and sampling
sites being considered.
...Step 6. Methods for choosing sites
29

30. Step 7. Calculating sample size
Sampling unit for its size in population should meet the
criterias.,
• Size of the sample should be such that all units of
universe have equal chance of selection
• Sample unit must be easily delineated in the field
• Size should be such that so as to provide reasonable
balance between variance and cost
• Later size should be worked out in terms of man hours,
including time required to select and take sample,
counting time etc...
30

31. Step 8. Timing of the survey
• Choosing when and how often to survey is another
critical step.
When to survey
• Ideally, the survey should be performed when the pest
is most likely to be present and in an identifiable state.
• The timing of survey procedures may be determined
by:
– the life cycle of the pest
– the phenology of the pest and its hosts
– the timing of pest management programs
– whether the pest is best detected on crops in active
growth or in the harvested crop.
31

32. ... Timing of the survey
Frequency of the survey
• Some surveys need to be performed several times.
• For example, this may be every 2 weeks
when managing a pest in a crop, or annually during
harvest to support a pest-free-area status, or
according to periods in the pest’s life cycle.
32

33. ...Step 8. Timing of the survey
• Record the best timing for the survey,
detailing the reasons.
• Record the frequency if the survey is to be
performed more than once.
33

34. Step 9. Planning data to collect in
the field
Identifying the sampling sites
Tagging the site
Recording site details
What data to record in the field
Designing a form
34

35. Step 10: Collection of data/ pest
Specimens
• Record what types of specimens you would collect if
the pest is found.
• Record how you will label the specimens.
• Record how the specimens will be prepared, treated
and identified.
• Create a list of things that you will need to take when
surveying.
35

36. ... Collection of data/ pest specimens
• Basically 2 ways of collecting data
A ) Absolute estimates
• Total no. insects/unit area (ha, quadrat) – absolute population
• Number/unit of habitat (per plant, shoot) –population density
• Both helps in life –table preparation, population dynamics
study
• Absolute population may be estimated by,
– Quadrat method
– Capture, marking, release and recapture method
36

37. B) Relative Estimates
• Population is measured in indeterminate units that
allows comparison in time and space
• It is influenced by a no. of factors viz.,
- insect behaviour with change in age
- level of pest activity as influenced by its diurnal
cycle
- efficiency of trap or searching method
Methods include – line- transect method, knock down
sampling, catch per unit time, trapping
37

38. C) Population indices
• Insect products – frass, excrement, pupal
exuviae
• Plant damage
– Direct pests- attack directly, destroy significant
part of its value eg: borers
– Indirect pests – measuring extent of defoliation –
devices like planimeters, photoplanimeters
38

39. Step 11. Electronic data storage
Irrespective of whether the data are collected in
notebooks or on forms,
– if the numbers need to be analysed statistically or a report
has to be written, the information will need to be
transferred into a computer program of some sort.
• Design a spreadsheet or database in which to
electronically store the data
• Decide how you will create backup copies of the data
and how often you will do so.
39

40. Step 12. Pilot study
• Involves going out to the survey site - to have a look at
the site, to meet and inform all the people involved
• valuable way of increasing the quality of data obtained
during the real survey.
• Problems encountered during study can be overcome,
with help of local knowledge.
• clearer communication with people to introduce yourself
and your survey to the people from whom you need to
seek access permission.
40

41. Step 13. Performing the survey:
• Collecting data and specimens
• You and your team should now be equipped with
enough plans, information and tools to
carry out the survey.
41

42. Step 14. Analysing data
• After survey, you will have a set of forms or data that
will be ‘raw’— not processed or analysed as a whole,
even if all the data are zeros
• The data can be used to:
– calculate basic statistics, such as the average and total
numbers of pest
– create a map of the pest distribution
– examine changes in pest locations and densities if
monitored over time.
• Store, tabulate and analyse the survey data.
42

43. Step 15. Reporting the results
• funded - survey - funding body will require a report of
the survey.
• For trade-related purposes, NPPOs will need to be given
a copy of the report.
• Academic institution - need to produce a report for your
HOD, or you may intend to submit the findings to a
journal.
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