Ohio

Stink Bug Management on Whole-Pack Processing Tomatoes

Principal Investigator:

Celeste Welty, Dept. of Entomology

Abstract:

Information on stink bug management is needed since stink bug injury has become an increasing problem on tomatoes during recent years. Stink bug feeding causes white corky tissue in tomato flesh. A lack of preferred wild hosts is associated with invasion of some stink bug species into some crops. Because ecological differences occur among stink bug species, with related management implications, we need to determine which species are attacking tomatoes in Ohio. Stink bugs often inhabit the lower canopy where they escape contact with insecticide sprays. Ohio tomato fields are usually sprayed with insecticide at least four times per year as insurance for the high-value crop. The effect of insecticides on stink bugs may be negative due to difficulty of reaching the pest as well as toxicity to natural enemies.

The objectives of this project were to identify stink bug species infesting tomatoes and to characterize their damage; to evaluate tomato varieties of different maturity types for susceptibility to stink bugs; to evaluate survival of stink bugs and natural enemies after treatment with common insecticides; and to determine whether certain field characteristics are associated with infestations.

Field trials to evaluate stink bug injury on six tomato varieties and after several different insecticide treatments were conducted at Hillsboro; plots were scouted weekly and fruit evaluated at harvest. Tomato fields in Darke, Holmes, and Sandusky Counties were surveyed for field characteristics associated with stink bug infestations. Stink bugs were collected for species determination. A feeding behavior study was conducted in a growth chamber; bugs were placed in containers with red fruit and green fruit, and the bugs' location and damage were observed twice per day from egg hatch until adult eclosion. Some harvest and scouting results are shown in Tables 1-4. Damage in the field occurred mostly in late August and early September. Identifications and analysis will be completed in 1997.

Extension Component:

An oral progress report on the project was given to growers and processors at the Darke County Vegetable Tour on 12 August and at the annual vegetable field tour at the Hillsboro site on 19 August 1996. Highlights also were included in VegNet reports that were faxed weekly to growers and processors, and in the recorded Tom-Cast toll-free telephone message. Results will be presented at the Vegetable Growers Congress in February 1997.

Table 1. Yield at harvest in variety trial, Hillsboro, 1996; all culls due to stink bug injury.
Yield of fruit per sample (kg)
Variety (& harvest date) good red cull red good green cull green % cul % good of reds % good of greens
OX88 (8/21) 0.81b 0.02c 2.82a 0.03 1.2c 97.0a 99.5
R9201 (9/10) 2.78a 0.35bc 1.43b 0.08 9.1b 89.3b 93.9
TR12 (9/10) 2.89a 0.32c 1.46b 0.11 9.9ab 86.6bc 92.6
HY696 (9/18) 3.69a 0.55bc 1.25b 0.12 11.9ab 87.1bc 90.6
OH8245 (9/18) 2.68a 0.97ab 1.35b 0.18 20.1ab 75.2bc 87.4
HZ9422 (9/18) 3.32a 1.30a 1.85b 0.22 21.9a 73.0c 88.2
P (trt effect) 0.004 0.003 0.01 0.17 0.0007 0.002 0.12

Table 2. Stink bugs detected by scouting in variety trial, Hillsboro, 1996; mean number of stink bugs per sample in foliage, fruit, and beating samples.

Variety 14 August 21 August 28 August 5 September
foliage fruit beating foliage fruit beating foliage fruit beating foliage fruit beating
OX88 0 0 0 - - - - - - - - -
R9201 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.20 0 0.25 0 0 0.25
TR12 0.17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.17 0 0 0.33
HY696 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.33 0 0 0.17
OH8245 0 0 0 0 0.17 0.17 0 0 0.50 0.17 0 0.33
HZ9422 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 0 0.00
P (trt) 0.46 - - - 0.46 0.49 0.33 - 0.54 0.46 - 0.68

Table 3. Yield at harvest on 10 September 1996 in insecticide trial, Hillsboro; all culls due to stink bug injury.

Yield of fruit per sample (lb)
Treatment good red cull red good green cull green % cull % good of reds % good of greens
Untreated 7.7 0.3 5.1 0.1 3.4 96.1 98.2
MVP II 6.2 0.4 5.8 0.0 11.9 96.4 100.0
Warrior 7.3 1.0 4.7 0.2 12.0 89.5 96.0
Penncap-M 6.4 0.6 6.6 0.2 5.0 89.9 98.3
Thiodan 9.6 0.4 4.9 0.0 14.4 96.2 100.0
P (trt) 0.68 0.85 0.59 0.53 0.87 0.90 0.19

Table 4. Stink bugs scouted in insecticide trial, Hillsboro, 1996; treatments applied 7/12, 7/26, 8/9, 8/30.

Mean per whole-plant sample Mean per partial-plant sample
Treatment 6/26 7/3 7/10 7/17 7/24 8/1 8/8 8/14 8/21 8/28 9/5
untreated 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.32 0.00 0.00 0.31 0.42
MVP-II 0 0 0.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.08 0.57
Penncap 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.28 0.34
Thiodan 0 0 0.00 0.16 0.00 0.08 0.00 0.17
Warrior 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.08 0.08 0.31 0.14
P (trt) - - - - - 0.44 0.07 0.44 0.61 0.08 0.09

For further information contact Celeste Welty Assistant Professor, Dept. of Entomology, The Ohio State University or the Ohio IPM Office.

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