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Ontario Grain Farmer Magazine

Monitoring for brown marmorated stink bug in Ontario corn and soybean

Principal Investigator: Tracey Baute

Research Institution: OMAFRA

Timeline: April 2015 – March 2017

Objectives:

  • To continue monitoring in Ontario corn and soybean fields and high risk introduction sites in efforts to succeed in early detection of brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) Halyomorpha halys (Stal) and proactive implementation of management strategies in field crops if needed.

Impacts:

  • The development of an early detection system to monitor brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has led to a greater understanding of their spread and the establishment of overwintering sites.
  • The education of corn and soybean producers, agricultural representatives, consultants, homeowners, and citizen scientists on proper identification of BMSB will increase awareness and improve identification of overwintering sites and aid detection of this new invasive species.
  • The early detection system for monitoring BMSB is important to ensure that growers are alerted if BMSB moves into agricultural areas and able to respond if management is required to protect yield and quality of their crop.

Scientific Summary:

Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) ) Halyomorpha halys Stål is an invasive pest from Asia and is a new invasive threat to Ontario field crops and has become a serious pest of several host crops in the Mid-Atlantic US, including corn and soybeans. Field detections and/or injury have been documented in states as close as New York and Ohio. In order to lessen the impact of this pest in corn and soybeans, it is important for early detection of BMSB through field surveys so that we can understand the full extent of their distribution and implement timely management strategies. By increasing awareness in the agricultural community and continuing public education programs that promote reporting of BMSB finds, survey sites can be targeted to high risk areas. This increases the likelihood of early detection in host crops, enabling extension personnel to alert growers and the agricultural community as to their whereabouts.

BMSB was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2001 and has since spread to 44 states and 4 provinces, including Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island. First identified in Ontario in 2010, BMSB has become established, with breeding populations at a minimum of 12 locations and has been found overwintering in homes in at least 41 locations across southern Ontario. The increase in BMSB abundance in these established urban and natural areas indicates an eminent risk of movement into nearby agricultural areas. This intensifies the importance of our survey efforts for the detection and implementation of management strategies in host crops to mitigate the risk of crop damage and yield loss to Ontario growers. Alerting growers when BMSB has moved into host crops is critical to ensure timely management strategies are implemented. OMAFRA has been surveying more than 620 high risk locations including corn and soybean fields and perimeters of high tourist locations and high risk horticultural crops since 2011. No BMSB have been found in any samples or plant assessments taken at these sites. In 2017, 63 soybean and corn fields were monitored with no detections made at any of these locations. The added measure of setting up traps was introduced to the survey in 2017 with a total of 6 sticky traps and 6 bucket traps set up at three locations. No BMSB were found in these traps.

External Funding Partners:

OMAFRA-UG Funding Partnership – Emergency Management

Project Related Publications:

None.

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