Many insect pests impact soybean yields and profitability in Louisiana. The list includes stink bugs, three-cornered alfalfa hopper, corn earworm, velvetbean caterpillar, soybean looper, kudzu bug and others. The aim of this project is to monitor insect pest population dynamics and to test control tactics under Louisiana soybean production conditions. Work includes determining the abundance and season occurrence of new soybean pests, evaluating the efficacy of new and current insecticides for insect control, monitoring redbanded stink bug for insecticide resistance, determining if harvest aid chemicals impact pod and seed susceptibility to stink bug damage and screening selected current soybean varieties for host-plant resistance to redbanded stink bugs.
Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, Extension agents