2014
Japanese beetle and brown marmorated stink bug: New threats to soybean yield?
Home
Contributor/Checkoff:
Iowa Soybean Association
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
Biotic stressCrop protectionField management Pest
Parent Project:
Japanese beetle and brown marmorated stink bug: New threats to soybean yield?
Lead Principal Investigator:
Matthew O'Neal, Iowa State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Erin Hodgson, Iowa State University
Russell A Jurenka, Iowa State University
+1 More
Project Code:
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Iowa Soybean Association
(n/a)
Institution Funded:
Iowa State University
(n/a)
Brief Project Summary:

The goal of this research project is to help soybean growers respond to two new invasive insect threats, Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) and brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys). These insects can reduce soybean yields. The threat from these new pests is two-fold; not managing these insects when they first occur and treating fields that will not benefit from the use of an insecticide. Creating a greater understanding of the economic damage and control of these new pests will assist soybean growers in Iowa. The goal of this project is to help soybean farmers assess and respond to the threat of two invasive insect pests that have invaded Iowa: Japanese beetle (JB), and brown...

Unique Keywords:
#brown marmorated stink bug, #insects and pests, #integrated pest management, #japanese beetle, #outreach and education, #soybean insect pests, #soybean pest surveys
Information And Results
Project Deliverables

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Final Project Results

The spring of 2013 was remarkably wet, leading to abnormally late soybean planting in many parts of the state, including our research and on-farm sites. Adult Japanese beetles emerged in early June and populations continued to increase in soybean through early August. This year more Japanese beetles were found in seed-treated soybeans than soybeans grown without a seed treatment. Large Japanese beetle populations were found in southeast and central Iowa, but populations were significantly lower in northeast Iowa.

We observed several stink bug species in soybean, including five species (four potential pest species and one predatory stink bug). Populations of these stink bugs were very low throughout Iowa. Landscape around soybean fields affected Japanese beetle abundance in soybean fields, but not stink bugs. Fields surrounded by over 50% non-crop vegetation (within a 2km radius) had more Japanese beetle than fields that were surrounded by only corn and soybean. The researchers did discover a plant extract that deters Japanese beetle feeding on soybeans.

Live adult brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) were discovered in eastern (Muscatine County) and central (Polk County) Iowa in 2013. We did not find BMSB in soybean fields.

Not only do seed treatments not protect soybeans from Japanese beetle but in 2012 and 2013 we observed more Japanese beetles in soybeans grown from treated than in adjacent soybeans grown without an insecticide-seed treatment.

Fields most at risk for Japanese beetle are those in southeastern and central Iowa, especially those surrounded by non-crop habitat (woods, urban areas, pasture). The risk of Japanese beetle outbreaks decreases to the north and west of central Iowa.

Overall, stink bugs were rarely found in Iowa, regardless of the location and the surrounding habitat. We found only 228 stink bugs during the 2013 season in all of the fields we surveyed.

We did not find any BMSB in soybean fields. Although living BMSB has been found in Iowa, the risk to farmers in 2014 of this potentially devastating pest is very low to non-existent.

We have determined that an antifeedant can improve the protection provided by neonicotinoids. Working with ISU, we are exploring opportunities to commercialize this antifeedant. To date we have developed non-disclosure agreements with Bayer CropScience and Scotts to share our results and develop a product for pest management.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.