Project Overview
Landscape effects on spatial distribution and movement of brown marmorated stink bug in peach orchards
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Fruits: peaches, general tree fruits
Practices
- Education and Training: on-farm/ranch research
- Pest Management: field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, prevention, weather monitoring
- Production Systems: agroecosystems
Proposal abstract:
Peaches are an economically important fruit crop in New Jersey, with 6,370 acres being grown in the state (NASS, 2007). New Jersey is the fourth largest peach growing state after California, Georgia, and South Carolina. Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halymorpha halys (Stål), is an invasive pest of multiple crops in the mid-Atlantic region that has caused significant reductions in crop yield. In addition to affecting a variety of crops, this pest has a range of additional susceptible host plants. Its spread threatens the marketability and productivity of peaches, and would greatly benefit from management using IPM. This requires a knowledge base that allows growers to make informed decisions regarding control. In New Jersey peach farms, growers depend on frequent insecticide applications to control brown marmorated stink bug. Knowledge of their movement into and around orchards and landscape factors that may influence its distribution and spread will allow for more localized insecticide treatments and a reduction in insecticide use.
Project objectives from proposal:
OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of the project is to determine the spatial distribution and movement of brown marmorated stink bug within New Jersey peach orchards. This project will look at landscape factors associated with higher BMSB populations in orchards and potential edge effects of different types of landscape. GIS technology will be used to determine areas with high pest populations.
Objective 1. Determine if BMSB are more prevalent in peach orchards in North Jersey or South Jersey, when they increase in population, and what landscape factors contribute to this.
Objective 2. Determine where high BMSB populations are located within peach orchards, and what landscape factors contribute to this.
Objective 3. Determine what landscape factors contribute to high levels of fruit damage by BMSB.
Objective 4. Determine what locations/habitats near a peach orchard might contribute to BMSB immigration into orchards.
