Lexington, KY 40546

Online at: www.uky.edu/KPN

Number 1359
GRAINS -Stink Bugs Could Still Be a Problem in Soybeans SHADE & FOREST TREES -Skimpy Spruce Defoliation from the Bottom Up

October 1, 2013
INSECT TRAP COUNTS

GRAINS Stink Bugs Could Still Be a Problem in Soybeans Doug Johnson, Extension Entomologist Because of delayed planting and a cool summer, Kentucky soybean producers are likely to have considerable acreage of late maturing soybeans. This probably causes most folks to be concerned with frost. However, this extended maturity may also set up fields for additional damage by stink bugs. Producers and consultants should remain watchful as long as pods are still filling. By far, the most common stink bug found in Kentucky is the green stink bug (Figure 1). Our research indicates that green stink bugs make up greater than 80% of the population. Nonetheless, there are several species of brown stinkbugs (Figure 2) in Kentucky-grown beans as well. So expect to see both types.

Figure 2. A brown stink bug.

Stink bugs can cause decreases in both yield and seed quality. These pesky bugs feed directly on the bean using their piercing-sucking mouth parts. They puncture the pod wall and stab the developing bean, removing nutrients and sometimes allowing entrance of pathogens into the pod / bean. Usually, there is no clear evidence of this damage until the pods are mature. The only clear evidence one has of these important pests is observing them in the field; damage symptoms are too late. Stink bugs will hang around until frost, feeding on whatever is available to them. In soybeans we consider the pods at risk up through to R6 stage. So if you have beans less mature than this you should definitely be looking for these critters. Once soybeans are in the R6 stage stink bug damage is much more difficult to predict.

Figure 1. Green stink bug (Photo: Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org)

Sampling for the pest can be done in two ways. In wide row beans a shake cloth (aka = drop cloth) may be used. This is a 3- foot long section of white cloth wide enough to reach from row to row. Shake the beans on both sides over the cloth and count the stink bugs that fall to the cloth. Remember, adults can fly so you need to count quickly. Juveniles do not yet have wings so they are a bit slower to escape. In narrow row beans you will need to use a sweep net. The 15-inch-diameter sweep net is the standard tool for most thresholds. Take 25 sweeps per location and count the stink bugs captured. In both types of sampling, each field should be sampled at multiple locations. The more locations you sample, the more accurate and precise your estimates will be. Average the number of stink bugs captured over all locations. Thresholds that warrant control are: shake cloth an average of one stink bug per row foot, or if sampled with a sweep net, treat if you collect an average of 9 stinkbugs per 25 sweeps at R4-R6. If control is required, synthetic pyrethroid insecticides are commonly used for control and are very effective on green stink bugs. Brown stink bugs are a bit more tolerant of pyrethroids, so if they are plentiful, inclusion of an organophosphate like acephate may be needed. Insecticides for use against this pest in soybeans may be found at: http://pest.ca.uky.edu/EXT/Recs/welcomerecs.html.

except that they are often a bit larger and have two small but very distinct white bands surrounding the joints in their antennae (Figure 3). In addition, the Kudzu bug has been found in three southeastern Kentucky counties bordering I-75. They are dark green to olive with a rounded shape and about the size of an English pea (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Kudzu bug.

Neither of these species is believed to be of major importance in this years crop, but as their populations become established and grow larger in size they have the potential to become major soybean pests. Any interested party that has collected what is believed to be a BMSB or Kudzu bug is asked to submit the insect to their county Cooperative Extension Office for identification.

SHADE & FOREST TREES Skimpy Spruce Defoliation from the Bottom Up Nicole Ward-Gauthier, Extension Plant Pathologist Rhizosphaera needle cast, the most common disease of spruce in Kentucky, causes needle drop in lower branches, resulting in a distinct thinned appearance. The fungal pathogen Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii primarily infects spruce, but can also affect some pine species. Symptoms are often noticed during summer when needles on lower branches turn purplish or brown (Figure 5). Within a few weeks, needles fall and lower limbs are left bare (Figure 6). Small, dark fruiting bodies called pycnidia form in stomata (pores in needles) and can be used to confirm diagnoses (Figures 7 & 8). Pycnidia can easily be recognized with a hand lens or with the naked eye.

Figure 3. Brown marmorated stink bug.

Producers in the central and eastern Kentucky production areas also need to keep their eyes open for the two invasive stink bug species resident in Kentucky. Populations of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) have become established in central and eastern Kentucky over the last 3 years. BMSBs look typically like other brown stink bugs

Figure 5. Needles infected with Rhizosphaera turn purplish brown during summer. (Photo: USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org)

Figure 7. Fungal pycnidia are often visible without a hand lens.

Figure 8. Fungal pycnidia protrude from stomata.

Figure 6. Needle drop and thinning of lower canopy are classic symptoms of Rhizosphaera needle cast in spruce. (Photo: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Bugwood.org)

The life cycle of the fungus extends over a 15-month period. Infection takes place as spores (conidia) within these pycnidia are rain splashed from needle debris onto foliage. This infection process occurs primarily during spring but it can continue as long as conditions are rainy, such as this past summer. During the winter or following spring, pycnidia develop in infected needles, plugging stomata (Figures 7 & 8). Needle discoloration and needle drop occur during summer of the second season, resulting in thinning of lower canopies. If defoliation occurs 3 to 4 consecutive years, branch death is likely. Stressed trees are more susceptible to infection by R. kalkhoffii than healthy plants.

Disease management should consist of good cultural practices such as improved vigor and reduced plant stress, proper spacing to improve air circulation, and most importantly, good sanitation habits. During rainy seasons or in plantings with a history of disease, fungicides may be applied 2 consecutive years during spring when fungi are most active. Fungicides that include chlorothalonil, copper, or mancozeb are effective when applied during needle emergence (mid-April) and again four weeks later. For more information, see Homeowners Guide to Fungicides. For additional information on needle cast diseases of conifers, see ID-85 http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id85/id85.pdf

2013 INSECT TRAP COUNTS September 20 to September 27

Location Black cutworm Armyworm European corn borer Corn earworm Southwestern corn borer Fall armyworm Princeton, KY 0 0 0 6 0 3 Lexington, KY 2 2 4 3 4 0

Graphs of insect trap counts for the 2013 season are available on the IPM Web site at http://www.uky.edu/Ag/IPM/ipm.htm.

Note: Trade names are used to simplify the information presented in this newsletter. No endorsement by the Cooperative Extension Service is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products that are not named.