Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/263110
W oe be to the grower who finds brown marmorated stinkbug in his or her crops. To date, there are no good sampling techniques to alert growers of pest presence and the few effective chemicals are broad-spectrum insecticides that disrupt integrated pest management programs, killing good bugs along with the stinkbugs. Researchers across the country are feverishly working on a national project to develop management strategies for the brown marmorated stinkbug. Current traps for brown marmorated stinkbug have a lot of prob- lems, said Dr. Nik Wiman, postdoctoral research entomologist at Ore- gon State University. Wiman, who spoke during winter tree fruit talks in Washington, has been working at OSU since 2011 on the national project, conducting statewide surveys and evaluating host-plant preferences, among other things. The traps attract the stinkbug with aggregation pheromones and are effective in catching stinkbugs late in the sea- son. But research has shown that brown marmorated stinkbugs are not respon- sive to the aggregation pheromone early in the season, which is when growers need to know if the pest is in the fi eld. It's important that brown mar- morated stinkbug be detected early because larvae and nymphs are more easily controlled than adults that migrate in and out of the orchard. Monitoring tools are a high priority Researchers aren't yet recommending that growers trap for stinkbug. by Melissa Hansen PHOTOS BY TJ MULLINAX The top of a pyramid-style trap in Corvallis, Oregon, uses an aggregation pheromone to lure brown marmorated stinkbug inside. The trap is not very effective early in the spring, but does work late in the season. "Stinkbug populations have the potential to grow faster than we originally thought in the Pacifi c Northwest." —Dr. Nik Wiman PLAY goodfruit.com/media scan to watch 26 MARCH 1, 2014 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com