Location: Southeast Watershed Research
Project Number: 6048-22000-046-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Nov 24, 2020
End Date: Nov 23, 2025
Objective:
1. Assess spatial and temporal distribution of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) and whitefly species and their natural enemies relative to environmental and ecological factors in cropping systems and develop a model that will guide decisions on pest management. [NP304, C3, PS3A, 3B and 3C]
1.A. Determine the spatial and temporal distribution of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci relative to environmental factors within cotton and peanut fields.
1.B. Utilize inoculation of entomopathogenic nematodes or the selective insecticides pyriproxyfen and buprofezin to precision manage this pest.
1.C. Model spatial and temporal distribution of BMSB and indigenous stink bugs and their natural enemies in row crop and orchard farmscapes and nearby non-crop hosts in woodlands in the southeastern USA.
2. Evaluate parasitism and predation of BMSB and indigenous stink bugs by parasitoids and predators in crop and non-crop habitats. [NP304, C3, PS3A, 3B and 3C]
2.A. Assess parasitism and predation of BMSB and indigenous stink bugs by parasitoids and predators in orchard, vineyard, vegetable, and row crop farmscapes and non-crop hosts in nearby woodlands in the southeastern USA.
2.B. Develop floral habitat to enhance biological control of BMSB and indigenous stink bugs in farmscapes.
3. Develop optimal native wildflower habitat near crop fields for provisioning of resources and refuge sites that increase pollinator abundance, diversity and pollination of nearby crops, such as initially in cotton and peanut, with potential applications to other pollinator-dependent crops such as watermelon. [NP304, C3, PS3A, 3B and 3C]
3.A. Determine the abundance, diversity and potential for crop pollination of wild bee pollinators in cotton and peanut adjacent to established wildflower buffers after increasing floral species, color and morphology in the buffer.
Approach:
The spatial and temporal distribution of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci relative to environmental factors (e.g. topographic, edaphic, plant height and canopy width) will be assessed at 32 sites within a 47ha georeferenced cotton field. At these sites we test the effects of inoculation of entomopathogenic nematodes and biopesticides alone and together to precision manage this pest. The spatiotemporal patterns of indigenous and brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys parasitism and predation rates as well as incorporation of site-specific floral species as parasitoid and predator habitat will be assessed in 2-3 orchards and 2-4 row crops. Evaluation of parasitism and predation of BMSB and indigenous stink bugs will be assessed using sentinel egg masses deployed in woodland on non-crop hosts and 2-3 orchards, 2-3 blueberry, apple, plum, peach, and pecan orchards, 2-3 grape vineyards, 2-3 vegetable farms, and 2-3 row crop farms. abundance, diversity and potential for crop pollination of wild bee pollinators using blue vane bee traps in 8 cotton plots and 8 peanut plots adjacent to wildflower buffers containing Gaillardia pulchella, Rudbeckia hirta and Monarda citriodora and Lupinus perennis flowers to the buffer and 8 cotton and 8 peanut plots that do not contain L. perennis.
