Table 1. Sample-size statistics for Idaho wheat pest status survey.

Figure 1. Statewide wheat productionby class (% total acres planted). 

• Wheat production characteristics differed among the 5 reporting districts (Table 2). Site characteristics in southwestern and south-central Idaho (District 3) were more uniform (less variable) than in the other 4 districts; virtually all reported District 3 production was soft white wheat, evenly divided between winter and spring seedings, all grown under irrigation. Production characteristics were more variable in the remaining four districts. Dryland systems predominated in Districts 1, 3 and 5. Hard red spring and winter wheats together were the major production class in District 5 (southeast Idaho).

• Growers ranked weeds as their most serious pest problem in wheat (Table 3). Over 40% of producers statewide scored weeds as a "serious" problem, while only 10% said weeds were "not a problem."

• Diseases and insects comprised a less-serious second-tier of pest problems (Table 3). Approximately 10% of wheat producers rated these pests as "serious."

• The majority of wheat producers ranked nematodes and rodents as non-problems, though there was a higher degree of uncertainty about the importance of nematode problems than for any other pest group (Table 3).

Table 3. Statewide pest concern (% growers responding)

• Individual pests considered "serious" by more than 10% of growers statewide were as follows (Table 4): #1 quackgrass, #2 annual grasses, #3 perennial broadleaves, #4 annual broadleaves, #5 aphids

Table 4. Statewide pest concerns (% growers ranking pests as "serious")

• Perceived pest problems varied by production region across Idaho (Table 5).

• District 1 producers (northern Idaho) ranked disease, insect and weed problems as more serious than overall state average survey values (Table 5). Figure 2 lists specific northern Idaho wheat pest problems that differed by more than 10% from statewide average rankings.

• District 3 producers (SW and SC Idaho) ranked their weed problems as less serious than statewide average survey values (Table 5).

• District 3 was the only region where rodents are considered a serious problem; 16% of growers ranked rodents as "serious," four-fold the overall statewide average survey value (Table 5).

• District 5 producers (SE Idaho) ranked insect problems as more serious than overall statewide average survey values (Table 5).

• Regional pest concerns in Districts 2 and 4 fell within statewide average survey norms.

• By a 6 to 1 statewide ratio, wheat producers said they needed more pest control alternatives to traditional chemical pesticides (Table 6). Interest is highest in pest-resistant varieties and cultural methods of pest control.

• Although the majority of growers said they needed more conventional pesticides for wheat pests (particularly weeds), an even larger percentage of growers wanted least-toxic biorational pesticides as well as pest scouting tools and decision aids (Table 7) for wheat pest control.

• Wheat growers preferred "high-touch" educational outreach methods to "high-tech" methods (Table 8).

• Survey sample size is relatively small, particularly for data summarized by individual production districts; however, production system characteristics (PART 1) suggest our sample population of growers is in fact representative of Idaho wheat producers.
  

• Data here is growers subjective perceptions of pest importance and not necessarily an objective measure of actual economic impact; nonetheless, grower beliefs about pest status and attitudes about pest control needs are critical if we are to conduct research and extension programs that fit the way farmers produce wheat in Idaho.