Project Number: 5358-22000-037-09
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Sep 01, 2011
End Date: Aug 31, 2016

Objective:
1. Determine host susceptibility, seasonal phenology, feeding injury, and interactions with plant pathogenic organisms of BMSB in ornamental crops. 2. Develop outreach and educational programs to deliver research results and management recommendations to stakeholders

Approach:
Beginning in early April at the time BMSB exit hibernacula, bi-weekly surveys will begin at each nursery. We will observe twenty randomly selected specimens of all cultivars on site and record the presence or absence of BMSB. Using timed visual counts (Nielson and Hamilton 2009) the location and number of BMSB eggs, nymphs, and adults on leaves, flowers, fruit, or bark will be recorded. The volume of foliage searched will be measured and used to standardize estimate densities of BMSB. Counts of BMSB from the soil to the first scaffold branches will be used to estimate abundance of bark-feeding adults and nymphs (Raupp et al. in prep.). In addition to phenology of BMSB, plant phenology will be recorded. Degree-day accumulations will be measured in each nursery. Injury will be classified as direct (discoloration, deformation, leaf abscission, wounds to bark, changes in growth) or indirect (incidence of cankers, leaf spots, other diseases) and recorded. A subset of plants will be caged to exclude BMSB and used as controls to quantify BMSB injury.