Assessing the arthropod pest pressure and beneficials in Idaho beans

Beans grown in the Pacific Northwest are attacked by a wide range of arthropods including mites, aphids, thrips, leafhoppers, grasshoppers, beetles, and moth larvae. Besides the damage received from sap suckers, defoliators, seed and pod feeders, some insects are vectors of different virus strains that have negative impacts on beans. These problems are usually complex and need to be addressed through efficient IPM programs. Given that the beans grown in southern Idaho still lack a tailored IPM guideline for arthropods, it is urgent to develop research that allows the identification of key pests representing a threat to the bean production and then deliver updated information to the growers, educators and stakeholders through extension activities.