Interactive key for the identification of the main pests associated with soybean cultivation

Abstract

Soybean productivity depends on good field practices, such as the correct identification of pest species. The use of dichotomous taxonomic keys is one of the classical methods, but it is considered difficult to use. Interactive or multi-access identification keys are an alternative to conventional materials, as they allow users to select identification characters in any order. The objective of this study was to develop an interactive identification key for the main pests associated with soybean. The pests (entities), characters (features), and character states (states) comprised the data matrix incorporated into Lucid v. 3.3 software, which was used to build the key. Photographs were obtained from personal collections or provided by external researchers. The key includes 44 pests, 71 characters, and 201 character states. The characters consist of questions written in simplified language, while the character states presented a variety of selectable alternatives. In addition to 220 photographs, complementary information was added for each pest species. As a non-linear tool, the user is free to select characters and character states in any sequence. Pests with incompatible characteristics are discarded (entities discarded) until the identification is achieved (entities remaining). In Brazil, such keys are still rarely used, but this technology can facilitate correct identification by less experienced users, providing greater accessibility, speed, and reliability in pest recognition and, consequently, in their proper management. The key is freely available at Vendite e Fujihara (2026).