I was contacted recently by a VCE Agent in Frederick Co. Mark Sutphin about my recommendations for stink bug bug control in sweet corn. Frederick County is one of the counties that has very high densities of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug.
After sending him my reply, I thought that others in Virginia may also benefit from this information. So here it is below:
Fortunately for sweet corn producers, unlike tree fruit growers, BMSB should not cause any drastic changes in chemical control strategies unless the grower is relying primarily on transgenic Bt sweet corn for worm control. Bt will not control stink bugs. Most of the insecticides that growers are already spraying on sweet corn should control BMSB.
The table below is a copy of the insecticide performance report based on our research on vegetable crops in Virginia in 2011.
In the western portions of Virginia, probably applications twice per week during silking and until harvest should control them even under heavy pest pressure. In eastern counties, insecticide applications at least 3 times per week are probably needed to control both corn earworm and the BMSB.
T. Kuhar, H. Doughty, K. Kamminga, L. Lilliston, J. Jenrette, A. Wallingford, A. Wimer and C. Philips
Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, 216 Price Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0319; tkuhar@vt.edu
Selected insecticides were evaluated at Virginia Tech in 2011 using green bean dip bioassays on brown marmorated stink bug nymphs and adults, as well as field efficacy trials on bell peppers. For the latter, four weekly spray applications were made using a backpack sprayer, and % stink bug injury to pepper fruit was assessed on three post-spray harvest dates (in Aug). Insecticides were ranked based on their average performance across all three experiments.
Product Rate oz/Acre % mortality from bean dip bioassay*
Nymph% mortality from bean dip bioassay*
Adult% control in the field: peppers** Avg. % control from all three experiments
* Mortality refers to the percentage of dead + moribund individuals after 72 hrs.
** Based on reduction in stink bug injury to pepper fruit from three harvests.
a Not the highest labeled rate for all vegetables.
Permethrin 3.2EC 8 97.5 98.8 60.6 85.6
Scorpion 3.24 7.7 76.7 90.0 85.4 84.0
Bifenture 10DF 12.8 100.0 81.9 56.3 79.4
Trebon 8 100.0 100.0 36.5 78.8
Baythroid XL 2.8 92.5 88.2 52.8 77.8
Venom 70 4 100.0 80.0 46.0 75.3
Endigo ZC 4.5 75.0 98.7 49.2 74.3
Acephate 97UP 16 100.0 51.8 70.4 74.1
Lannate LV 40 66.7 75.3 79.8 73.9
Leverage 360 2.8 a 97.3 74.5 49.9 73.9
Brigadier 9.85 76.7 70.0 69.9 72.2
Hero EC 10.3 91.7 50.0 72.8 71.5
Vydate L 48 85.0 47.0 79.7 70.6
Warrior II 2.5 100.0 72.8 38.0 70.3
Belay 4 75.0 67.5 66.7 69.7
Actara 50 WG 5.5 66.7 81.0 60.3 69.3
MustangMax 4 100.0 35.0 72.8 69.3
Danitol 16 93.3 42.5 60.3 65.4
Assail 30 G 4 90.0 32.8 70.4 64.4
Lambda-cy 3.84 86.0 32.3 62.0 60.1
Asana XL 9 35.0 27.5 76.4 46.3
We provide early warnings and confirmations about pests, diseases and other factors that influence yield. Our goal is to quickly provide farmers and crop advisors with information needed to make better and more profitable decisions.
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