Six soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, fields were examined to compare estimated costs and benefits for uniform and site-specific management (SSM) programs for the bean leaf beetle, Cerotoma trifurcata (Forster). Beetle counts and soybean yield were field-collected, insecticide and sampling costs were estimated. In five fields, site-specific management produced only slightly greater return. The inclusion of sampling costs in each scenario resulted in higher return for the uniform scenario. The uniform management scenario estimated pest pressure as well as the site-specific scenario when beetle populations were high or low. In one field with moderate pest pressure, the SSM scenario would have increased insecticide use. The estimations in this study are based on hypothetical scenarios and the application equipment to target insecticides based on map coordinates is not readily available. The economic estimations provide examples of current limitations of site-specific management that need to be addressed before this technology becomes valuable for soybean insect management.
