Project Overview

Reports

Commodities

• Additional Plants: trees

• Fruits: apples

Target Pests

• Target Pests: brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB)

Practices

• Pest Management: behavioral control, trap crops, traps

• Production Systems: organic agriculture, other

This applied research project aims at evaluating trap cropping in association with the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) pheromone and insecticide-treated netting as a potential IPM tool to manage this invasive pest, particularly near crop harvest. It represents a partnership between growers, UMass, and Lincoln University, an 1890 land-grant University in Missouri. Extension personnel from every New England state, in partnership with the Northeastern IPM Center, will disseminate the research-based information that will be generated. The project addresses the Center’s signature Program # 1: IPM and organic systems. Information that will be generated is expected to be particularly useful to small- and mid-scale growers. In Massachusetts and other New England states, BMSB is affecting the fruit industry. In the Midwest, BMSB populations are rapidly becoming established. In Missouri, the BMSB was detected in 2013. Fruit growers face tough choices about protecting crops from BMSB near harvest, when pest populations are higher. Broad-spectrum insecticides are effective but also kill beneficial insects and some materials cannot be applied near harvest. Stakeholders have voiced the need to address this pest. This project has strong grower support. Our main research goal is to pull stink bugs to the trap crop areas where they can be killed, away from the cash crop. In year 1, we will quantify BMSB response to sunflower and buckwheat combinations either, alone or in association with the BMSB pheromone. In year 2, we will select the most effective treatment and will assess the effectiveness of this approach at managing BMSB in commercial orchards. Measurable outputs, outcomes, and impacts are centered on (1) generating new knowledge on a grower-friendly attract-and-kill strategy suitable for small-scale farms, (2) improving farmers’ knowledge and awareness of benefits provided by monitoring BMSB and attract-and-kill strategies, and (3) on-farm research to increase the likelihood of grower adoption.

The main objective of this project is to develop a grower-friendly IPM strategy that effectively manages BMSB from midsummer until harvest in small- and mid-scale commercial farms in MA and MO. There are two specific research objectives and one educational objective.

Objective 1: Evaluation of the BMSB pheromone either alone or in combination with trap cropping (dwarf sunflower and buckwheat tested singly or in a mixture) in attracting BMSB (YEAR 1).

Anticipated impact: Results will provide information for growers on the most effective trap cropping combination and BMSB pheromone that can be used to attract BMSB from midsummer to crop harvest in the fall.

Objective 2: Performance of most attractive trap crop/pheromone combination at protecting the cash crop (YEAR 2)

Anticipated impact: Results are expected to provide information for growers on the performance of a novel grower-friendly attract-and-kill strategy involving trap cropping, the BMSB pheromone, and insecticide-treated netting. For organic growers, our research will involve applications of the OMRI-listed insecticide AZERA to trap crop areas after bloom.

Objective 3 (educational program): To implement a focused Extension program for delivery of outputs among growers and Extension personnel and measurement of impacts, and to increase growers’ engagement and likelihood of IPM adoption.

Anticipated impact. Our multifaceted Extension efforts seek to document short- and mid-term outcomes and impacts (e.g., grower adoption of trap cropping enhanced with pheromones).

Results are expected to apply to the entire Northeastern region. Likewise, growers in Missouri and potentially in neighboring states are expected to benefit from this research.

Over a 2-year period, we expect to reach at least 250 growers (direct and indirect contacts) throughout New England and 50 growers in Missouri. On-farm research will be conducted in at least 6 commercial fruit orchards in Massachusetts and in 2 farms in Missouri. We will set up an advisory committee made up of the PD, co-PD, growers, and other stakeholders (about 6 people in all). This committee will help steer the outcomes of this project.