Location: Southeast Watershed Research
2022 Annual Report
Objectives
1. Assess spatial and temporal distribution of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) and whitefly species and their natural enemies relative to environmental and ecological factors in cropping systems and develop a model that will guide decisions on pest management. [NP304, C3, PS3A, 3B and 3C]
1.A. Determine the spatial and temporal distribution of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci relative to environmental factors within cotton and peanut fields.
1.B. Utilize inoculation of entomopathogenic nematodes or the selective insecticides pyriproxyfen and buprofezin to precision manage this pest.
1.C. Model spatial and temporal distribution of BMSB and indigenous stink bugs and their natural enemies in row crop and orchard farmscapes and nearby non-crop hosts in woodlands in the southeastern USA.
2. Evaluate parasitism and predation of BMSB and indigenous stink bugs by parasitoids and predators in crop and non-crop habitats. [NP304, C3, PS3A, 3B and 3C]
2.A. Assess parasitism and predation of BMSB and indigenous stink bugs by parasitoids and predators in orchard, vineyard, vegetable, and row crop farmscapes and non-crop hosts in nearby woodlands in the southeastern USA.
2.B. Develop floral habitat to enhance biological control of BMSB and indigenous stink bugs in farmscapes.
3. Develop optimal native wildflower habitat near crop fields for provisioning of resources and refuge sites that increase pollinator abundance, diversity and pollination of nearby crops, such as initially in cotton and peanut, with potential applications to other pollinator-dependent crops such as watermelon. [NP304, C3, PS3A, 3B and 3C]
3.A. Determine the abundance, diversity and potential for crop pollination of wild bee pollinators in cotton and peanut adjacent to established wildflower buffers after increasing floral species, color and morphology in the buffer.
Approach
The spatial and temporal distribution of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci relative to environmental factors (e.g. topographic, edaphic, plant height and canopy width) will be assessed at 32 sites within a 47ha georeferenced cotton field. At these sites we test the effects of inoculation of entomopathogenic nematodes and biopesticides alone and together to precision manage this pest. The spatiotemporal patterns of indigenous and brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys parasitism and predation rates as well as incorporation of site-specific floral species as parasitoid and predator habitat will be assessed in 2-3 orchards and 2-4 row crops. Evaluation of parasitism and predation of BMSB and indigenous stink bugs will be assessed using sentinel egg masses deployed in woodland on non-crop hosts and 2-3 orchards, 2-3 blueberry, apple, plum, peach, and pecan orchards, 2-3 grape vineyards, 2-3 vegetable farms, and 2-3 row crop farms. abundance, diversity and potential for crop pollination of wild bee pollinators using blue vane bee traps in 8 cotton plots and 8 peanut plots adjacent to wildflower buffers containing Gaillardia pulchella, Rudbeckia hirta and Monarda citriodora and Lupinus perennis flowers to the buffer and 8 cotton and 8 peanut plots that do not contain L. perennis.
Progress Report
Collected environmental data and analyze and model spatial data from 4 years of sampling populations of whiteflies within an on-farm georeferenced cotton field (Objective 1A.). The second year of a study to assess spatial and temporal distribution of brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) in row crops in the farmscape and non-crop hosts in nearby woodlands collected has been completed (Objective 1.C). The second year of a study to assess spatial and temporal spatial and temporal biocontrol of sentinel and wild BMSB eggs has been completed (Objective 2.A).
Accomplishments
1. Spatial and temporal distribution of an invasive stink bug in orchards. ARS scientists at Tifton, Georgia suggest that invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is a serious pest in orchard crops in the United States. Thus, the spatial and temporal distribution of BMSB adults and nymphs was explored in a southeastern research farm with multiple orchard and woodland habitats. BMSB capture traps were placed in orchard and non-crop plants to assess seasonal development of the pest. In addition, stink bugs were monitored weekly across a grid of capture traps within the orchard. ARS scientists at Tifton, Georgia found that BMSB is an established pest within this orchard system, and that non-crop host plants play an important role in maintaining populations of BMSB in surrounding habitat. Using spatial analyses, high-density aggregations of this pest were identified and mapped. Overall, the distribution of BMSB adults and nymphs were similar; both adults and nymphs aggregated primarily in peach and adjacent woodlands followed by pecan. For growers, seasonal monitoring of BMSB adults and nymphs in fruit and nut trees and non-crop host plants in surrounding habitat can be used to identify, in time and space, areas of high-density aggregations to develop targeted pest management strategies.
2. Spatial and temporal distribution of native stink bugs in row crops. ARS scientists at Tifton, Georgia believe native stink bugs are polyphagous pests that cause significant economic losses to a variety of row crops. Although many species have been documented to aggregate within agricultural fields, much less is known regarding the timing and distribution of adults and nymphs within and between surrounding non-crop habitat. Thus, the spatial and temporal distributions of the brown stink bug, dusky stink bug, and green stink bug, were explored and distribution patterns were examined by habitat. Stink bugs were monitored weekly for three years within an 18 km2 grid of stink bug traps. ARS scientists at Tifton, Georgia, found that the timing of stink bug aggregations reflected the phenology of major crops, including corn, cotton, and peanut. Overall, brown stink bugs were captured in crops, whereas dusky stink bugs were mainly captured in forests. The green stink bug was most often captured in forest followed by crop habitat. For growers, this means that pest management strategies for stink bugs may require an area-based management approach that accounts for movement in agricultural fields and surrounding habitat.
Review Publications
Tillman, P.G., Cottrell, T.E., Grabarcyzk, E.E. 2022. Black cherry as a host plant for stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in agroecosystems in Georgia, USA. Florida Entomologist. 105(1):79-86. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.105.0112.
Grabarczyk, E.E., Mizell, R.F., Greene, J.K., Tillman, P.G., Cottrell, T.E., Herzog, G.A. 2022. Spatiotemporal distribution of stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in southeastern farmscapes. Journal of Insect Science. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieab111.
Khadka, A., Hodges, A.C., Leppla, N.C., Tillman, P.G. 2021. Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) nymph survival and adult feeding preferences for crop plants in Florida. Florida Entomologist. 104:136-139. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.104.0210.
Tillman, P.G., Cottrell, T.E., Balusu, R., Fadamiro, H., Buntin, D., Sial, A., Vinson, E., Towes, M., Patel, D., Grabarczyk, E.E. 2022. Effect of duration of deployment on parasitism and predation of Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Hemiptera:Pentatomidae) sentinel egg masses in various host plants. Florida Entomologist. 150(1):44-52. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.105.0107.
Grabarczyk, E.E., Cottrell, T.E., Tillman, P.G. 2021. Characterizing the spatiotemporal distribution of stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) across an agricultural landscape. Insects. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100854.
Grabarczyk, E.E., Cottrell, T.E., Tillman, P.G. 2022. Spatiotemporal distribution of Halyomorpha halys (Stål)(Hemiptera:Pentatomidae) across a fruit and tree nut agricultural ecosystem. Environmental Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvac030.
