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Evaluating potential trap crops for managing leaffooted ( H emiptera: C oreidae) and phytophagous stink bug ( H emiptera: P entatomidae) species in peaches
Author(s) -
AkotsenMensah Clement,
Balusu Rammohan R.,
Anikwe Joseph,
Fadamiro Henry Y.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
agricultural and forest entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.755
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1461-9563
pISSN - 1461-9555
DOI - 10.1111/afe.12213
Subject(s) - biology , coreidae , pentatomidae , nezara viridula , hemiptera , agronomy , heteroptera , sorghum , miridae , pest analysis , host (biology) , horticulture , botany , ecology
Abstract The leaffooted bug ( L eptoglossus spp. ) and phytophagous stink bug species ( E uschistus spp., N ezara viridula , C hinavia hilare ) are the major hemipteran pests of fruit, vegetable, and grain crops in A labama and other parts of the southeastern U.S.A. The present study evaluated six winter host crops (hairy vetch, oats, rye, triticale, wheat and winter peas) and six summer host crops (buckwheat, brown top millet, grain sorghum, southern pea, pearl millet and sunflower) as potential trap crops for leaffooted and stink bugs in peaches from 2011 to 2013 in A labama. Experimental plots were arranged around a mature peach orchard in a randomized complete block design, and insect densities, as well as host plant phenology, were recorded at weekly intervals from M arch to M ay and J uly to A ugust each year. Wheat and oats attracted a significantly higher number of target insects than any other treatments evaluated in the winter trials. Sunflower, pearl millet and sorghum recorded a significantly higher number of insects than any other host crops evaluated in the summer. When the insects sampled were totalled across the season, leaffooted bugs ( L eptoglossus phyllopus ) dominated the pest complex (>70%), followed by brown stink bugs (mainly E uchistus servus D allas). Target insects colonized the hosts mainly during the reproductive phase (including flowering and seed development) until plant senescence. The results obtained in the present study suggests that a combination of wheat and oats may be used to detect the early presence of leaffooted and stink bugs in the spring, whereas sunflower, pearl millet and sorghum could be utilized during summer to detect and attract colonizing populations away from peach orchards.