Effects of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, on corn
Date
2015
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is an Asian species that now dominates the stink bug complex in many cultivated crops throughout the mid-Atlantic U.S. Sweet corn and field corn ( Zea mays L.) are preferred host plants of H. halys, and the bug can cause kernel injury on developing ears. Currently, there is limited information available on which plant growth stages are most sensitive to H. halys feeding, or the density of bugs required to cause yield and quality reductions on sweet corn and field corn. In 2011 and 2012, sweet corn and field corn ears were infested at different growth stages: R1 (silking), R2 (blister), R3 (milk), and R4 (dough, field corn only) at densities of zero, one, three, and five H. halys adults per ear for seven days. At harvest, four sweet corn and three field corn yield measurements were assessed and ears were inspected for quality reductions. In sweet corn, the greatest yield loss from H. halys occurred when infestations were initiated during early stages of ear development (R1 and R2), and the greatest quality reductions (damaged kernels) occurred during later stages of ear development (R2 and R3). In field corn, the greatest yield losses and quality reductions occurred when infestations were initiated at R3. A density of one H. halys per ear resulted in levels of kernel damage great enough to cause significant quality reductions in both sweet corn and field corn. This study highlights the ability of H. halys to cause substantial economic losses in both sweet corn and field corn in a relatively short period of time at low population densities. Therefore, infestations by this insect must be considered when making pest management decisions in regions where it has become established.