Source: UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA submitted to
BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF BAGRADA HILARIS ON DESERT COLE CROPS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
NEW
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1003669
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
ARZT-1361120-H31-167
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2014
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2019
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Palumbo, J, .
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
888 N EUCLID AVE
TUCSON,AZ 85719-4824
Performing Department
Entomology
Non Technical Summary
This research project will provide an understanding of the developmental and behavioral biology, seasonal occurrence, feeding damage, and pesticide susceptibility of a new invasive pest insect, the bagrada bug, Bagrada hilaris Burmeister (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). This information is vital for the development of reduced risk pest management practices for this highly destructive pest of economically important cruciferous plants. Currently being addressed on farms with multiple applications of a battery of chemicals, our overall goal is to replace this activity with sustainable, environmentally and economically sound IPM strategies. Supporting this goal we will determine the temperature-dependent developmental rate so we can establish a degree-day model. Combined with a solid understanding of the seasonal migration among weeds and crops, we will be able to predict when and where the bagrada bug will become problematic. This will guide the implementation of IPM strategies, which largely will consist of directed applications of the most effective and least disruptive insecticides. The components of this strategy (migration ecology, developmental biology, and insecticide selectivity) form the objectives of the current proposal.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
21614401130100%
Knowledge Area
216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
1440 - Cole crops;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology;
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this project is to develop an environmentally responsible and economically feasible IPM program for the effective management of B. hilaris. The objectives are to:Understand the population dynamics and seasonal movement of B. hilaris as it moves among vegetable fields and native vegetation.Determine the relationship between temperature and B. hiliaris development and populations abundance.Examine phenological stages in Brassica crop plant growth that can tolerate or compensate for B. hilaris feeding damage without suffering economic reductions in yield.Characterize the temporal and residual activity of currently available insecticides under field conditions, and screen new and alternative insecticides for effective B. hilaris control.
Project Methods
Objective 1For this objective, we will establish 5 sampling sites each in Yuma area, selecting sites with a diverse mix of cruciferous crops and weeds. Plants of interest include: wild mustard, weedy areas, cole crops in late winter/early spring, mustard, corn and weeds in spring to early fall, and cole crop fields in fall/winter. At each location, we will conduct 10 minute counts of bagrada bugs on each plant species found at each location. This timed sampling protocol will allow standardized counts on plants that have diverse leaf sizes and plant architectures. All life stages will be counted and the plant growth stages will be documented. Sites will be sampled monthly throughout the year. Means and variances of insect counts per min. on the various plant species will be compared at each location with a two-way ANOVA (PROC GLM, SAS Institute 2004), using a protected LSD F-test to distinguish treatment mean differences. Over the course of this study, we will discover the seasonal occurrence of B. hilaris and migration patterns between crops and weeds.Objective 2Studies will be conducted in field plots to track seasonal population abundance of Bagrada bugs through the growing season. At weekly intervals, plants (n=80) in untreated broccoli plots (0.25-1.0 ac) will be sampled by carefully examining whole plants for the presence of live adults on leaves, petioles and stems, as well as on the soil surface beneath each plant. In addition, the number of plants in each sampled replicate that showed signs of recent feeding was recorded by inspecting the terminal growth and young leaves on each plant for fresh feeding signs that appeared as pale, starburst-shaped lesions on foliage where B. hilaris adults prefer to feed. Seasonal trends in abundance will be correlated with a number of environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and wind measured through the AZMET station located at YAC.Objective 3In the broccoli trials, treatments will consist of broccoli plots that will be covered with floating row cover following planting. Immediately following row cover placement, plots will be germinated using overhead sprinkler irrigation. Agribon AG-15 will be used as the row cover material which is a lightweight spunbonded polyester fabric (0.45 oz/ yd2) that allows for 90% light transmission, does not retain excessive heat and will easily exclude Bagrada from the plants. When plants reach a predetermined phonological stage, row covers will be temporarily removed, infested with Bagrada adults (1 adult/8 plants) and then immediately replaced over the plants for a 14 day period. After the infestation period, plant damage will be assessed. Plots will also be sprayed with insecticides immediately following the assessment to remove any adults.Objective 4Bioassays:To establish baseline toxicities, we will use techniques suited for the method in which the materials are used in the field (i.e. foliar sprays or soil applied). We have adapted 2 bioassay techniques (foliar leaf spray bioassay or soil-applied systemic bioassay), from Prabhaker et al. (2005, 2006) which uses intact plants, not abscised leaves or leaf discs. Foliar leaf sprays will test the survivorship of bagrada immatures and adults following applications of contact insecticides. Broccoli seedlings with 2-3 true leaves will be used, spraying each plant until runoff. We will test a minimum of 4 concentrations for each compound. Leaves will be allowed to dry for an hour before insects are caged on the treated plants. Five adults will be enclosed in small clip cages attached to the leaves on the plant (Figure 5), and adults will be observed at 24 and 48 h. Observation time for mortality checks may be modified to 96 h if preliminary tests show delayed toxicity of some insecticides. Field Efficacy Trials: Field trials on broccoli and cauliflower will be established at the Yuma Agricultural Center, Yuma AZ in August, September and October to ensure the presence of bagrada. Small plots will be used to measure the knockdown (1-3 d post-treatment) and residual (> 4 d) of materials. Plot sizes and experimental design will be similar to those used in Objective 4. We will evaluate materials already registered in cole crops and others that are not registered. Foliar sprays will applied with a CO2 operated boom sprayer. Neonicotinoid soil treatments will be compared using two soil placements. To assess insecticide efficacy, sampling will consist of counting all live and dead B. hilaris adults at pre-treatment and on 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 d following application.

Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience of this project was pest control advisors (PCAs) and vegetable growers in Arizona and California. A secondaryaudience consistedof agri-business and agrochemical industry reps, as well as academic and extension peers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results of this research has been presented toacademic peers at scientific meeting in 2015 (ESAbranch and national meetings) as well as at numerous extension meetings held in Arizona and California. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to conduct research trials in lab and field to meet the objectives of the project.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We have surveyed host sites throughout the year on a 2-4 week schedule in Yuma. To date, most Bagrada from September -March have been found on cole crops; none were found on alternative hosts, except this fall adults were found on volunteer sudangrass growing near cauliflower fields. During the summer months when cole crops are absent, adults and nymphs have been found on alyssum, weeds (lambsquarter), cotton, alfalfa and sudangrass. In addition we have been tracking Bagrada adult abundance on broccoli/cabbage plants throughout the grow. We are not conducting any laboratory studies specifically on this objective, but have investigated thediel activity of Bagrada adults on broccoli and cauliflower, both under field conditions and in the greenhouse. We've determined after multiple 24 hr sampling bouts (n=12), Bagrada adults are most abundant on small plants (coty-4 lf stages) in the field during the warmest part of the day (1000 -1600 hr). In contrast, adults were difficult to find on plants during early morning periods (0300-0700). A significant correlation of Bagrada abundance on plants with ambient temperature was demonstrated. These data have important implications for monitoring and insecticidal control. We have completed lab and field studies using row covers to expose broccoli and cauliflower plants at selected plant phenological stages during stand establishment to known numbers of Bagrada adults. Resultssuggest that broccoli plants in early development (cotyledon-2 leaf stage) are very susceptible to plant injury, yield loss and delayed maturity. Older plants (4-lf) appeared to be less susceptible, but experienced significant reductions, whereas larger plants (6-lf stage) did not appear to sustain significant losses. A laboratory study is presently being completed to examine the effects of Bagrada densities (0, 1, 2 or 4 adults) on broccoli plants at various phenological growth stages (seed, coty, 1 lf, 2 lf, and 4 lf). Variables to be measured are plant mortality, reduction in plant growth, and plant injury. Preliminary trials have suggested that plant responses are similar to our field trials. A number of trials (laboratory, greenhouse and field plot) have been conducted examining the knockdown (1- 3 d) and residual (5-d) activity of all of the major chemical classes. Under laboratory conditions, we examined adult susceptibility to various concentrations of insecticide classes (pyrethroid, OP, carbamate and neonicotinoid) in leaf dip, contact bioassays. We've established baseline susceptibilities for the major active ingredients presently being used in the desert to control Bagrada. Greenhouse trials have been conducted with conventional and experimental insecticides applied as foliar sprays to broccoli plants with adults caged on plants to measure adult mortality, plant damage and growth. Results of this work are consistent with small plot efficacy trials conducted on broccoli under local field conditions. We've evaluated the knockdown and residual efficacy of most conventional and experimental compounds against natural Bagrada populations. Results are consistent and show that insecticides with contact activity are most efficacious including all pyrethroids, dinotefuron, methomyl, chlorpyrifos and mixtures. The experimental compounds evaluated (sulfoxaflor, Pyrifluquinazon, Cyazypyr, spirotetramat, novaluron, flonicamid, pymetrozine) failed to provide consistent efficacy in replicated trials. Initial examination of broccoli seed treated with experimental insecticides under both laboratory and field conditions suggests that candidate active ingredients exist that can provide protection against Bagrada during germination and stand establishment. Manuscripts are presently being prepared for 2016 submission.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Palumbo, J.C., N. Prabhaker, D. A. Reed, T.M. Perring, S. J. Castle and T. Huang. 2015 Susceptibility of Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to Insecticides in Laboratory and Greenhouse Bioassays. J. Econ. Entomol. 108(2): 672682 (2015); DOI: 10.1093/jee/tov010
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Palumbo, J. C., and Carri�re, Y. 2015. Association between Bagrada hilaris density and feeding damage in broccoli: Implications for pest management. Plant Health Progress 16: 158-162, doi:10.1094/PHP-RS-15-0024
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2016 Citation: Palumbo, J.C., T.M. Perring, J Millar, and D.A. Reed. Biology, Ecology and Management of an Invasive Stink Bug, Bagrada hilaris in North America, Annual Review of Entomology. Annual Review of Entomology 01/2016; 61(1). DOI:10.1146/annurev-ento-010715-023843
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2016 Citation: Bundy, S., Grasswitz, T., Palumbo, J., Perring, T., & Reed, D. (2016). Bagada hilaris (Chapter 3). In (ed., J. McPherson), Biology Of The Pentatomoidea, Stink Bugs And Their Relatives, Taylor and Francis, Boca Raton. In press. (In press)