Project Number: 1931-21000-019-33
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Sep 01, 2011
End Date: Aug 31, 2016

Objective:
The objectives of this project will be: 1) assess biology and phenology of brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) in specialty crops; 2) develop monitoring and management tools for BMSB; 3) establish effective management strategies for BMSB in specialty crops; and 4) integrate stakeholder input and research findings to form and deliver practical outcomes.

Approach:
The BMSB, Halyomorpha halys (Stal), is an invasive insect native to China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan that was introduced into the Allentown, PA, region in the mid 1990s. Currently, BMSB is well established throughout DE, MD, PA, NJ, VA and WV, and has been officially detected in 26 states and the District of Columbia. BMSB is polyphagous pest of numerous specialty crops in Asia. In 2010, BMSB populations increased dramatically and attacked many high value specialty crops in the mid-Atlantic region. Damage in commercial tree fruit orchards reached critical levels with some growers losing entire blocks of stone fruit and incurring severe economic injury in apples and Asian pears. Serious problems were detected in a variety of other specialty crops including peppers, tomatos, raspberries, and grapes. In addition, the consequences of BMSB infestation to other specialty crops such as ornamentals are not fully known, the risk to other specialty crops such as lima beans seems high, and questions of potential disease transmission and post-harvest issues continue to arise. As the threat posed by spreading BMSB populations to U.S. agriculture continues to increase, there is no established detection method, treatment threshold, or control strategy for BMSB in any cropping system.