Early-season pests of soybean in the United States and factors that affect their risks of infestation

Authors: Hesler, Louis; Allen, Clint; Luttrell, Randall; Sappington, Thomas; Schneider, Sharon

Submitted to: Journal of Integrated Pest Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/6/2017
Publication Date: 6/15/2018
Citation: Hesler, L.S., Allen, K.C., Luttrell, R.G., Sappington, T.W., Papiernik, S.K. 2018. Early-season pests of soybean in the United States and factors that affect their risks of infestation. Journal of Integrated Pest Management. 9(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmx028.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmx028

Interpretive Summary: Soybean faces potential economic damage from a wide variety of early season invertebrate pests present from the time it is sown through early vegetative stages. Most of these invertebrates are uncommon and not specifically managed. Some, such as the bean leaf beetle, which vectors bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) to soybean, are present each year, but abundance may vary greatly among years and locations. The soybean aphid, which transmits soybean mosaic virus, may appear early season, but economically damaging populations do not develop until soybean reproductive stages. Treatment of soybean seed with systemic insecticide has become widespread in the United States and affords broad spectrum protection against early season pests, irrespective of their actual threat to soybean. The objective of this article is to define specific factors that cause economic infestations and identify management options for eight soybean insect pests targeted for control by insecticidal seed treatments in the United States: bean leaf beetle; soybean aphid; grape colaspis, leafhoppers; seedcorn maggot, threecornered alfalfa hopper, white grubs; and wireworms. These pests are widespread or fairly widespread in the United States and frequently present in early season soybean, but population levels high enough to cause direct economic injury are uncommon or rare. BPMV prevalence can be fairly high, but its risk varies yearly and with factors besides bean leaf beetle.

Technical Abstract: Soybean faces potential economic damage from a wide variety of early season invertebrate pests present from the time it is sown through early vegetative stages. Most of these invertebrates are uncommon and not specifically managed. Some, such as the bean leaf beetle (Cerotoma trifurcate Förster, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), which vectors Bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) to soybean, are present each year, but abundance may vary greatly among years and locations. The soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura, Hemiptera: Aphididae), which transmits Soybean mosaic virus, may appear early season, but economically damaging populations do not develop until soybean reproductive stages. Treatment of soybean seed with systemic insecticide has become widespread in the United States and affords broad spectrum protection against early season pests, irrespective of their actual threat to soybean. The objective of this article is to define specific factors that cause economic infestations and identify management options for eight soybean insect pests targeted for control by insecticidal seed treatments in the United States: bean leaf beetle; soybean aphid; grape colaspis, Colaspis brunnea (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae); leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Ciccadellidae); seedcorn maggot, Delia platura (Meigen) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae); threecornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say) (Hemiptera: Membracidae); white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae); and wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae). These pests are widespread or fairly widespread in the United States and frequently present in early season soybean, but population densities high enough to cause direct economic injury are uncommon or rare. BPMV prevalence can be fairly high, but its risk varies yearly and with factors besides bean leaf beetle.