Milkweed as an Eco-friendly Tactic for Spotted Lanternfly Control

Commodities

• Fruits: grapes
• Additional Plants: native plants

Practices

• Crop Production: agroforestry
• Pest Management: integrated pest management, trap crops

Project focus:

This project will benefit grape growers, winery owners, and associated industry partners whose businesses are being negatively impacted by spotted lanternfly (SLF). SLF is an invasive, sap-feeding insect introduced into the U.S. from Asia that has become an economically devastating pest of vineyards. Grape growers with SLF-infested vineyards have reported significant yield losses along with a reduction in wine quality, vine decline, and vine death due to extensive SLF feeding. High SLF population pressure has forced grape growers to dramatically increase the number of insecticide applications throughout the growing season. As a result, SLF management has significantly increased the production costs for many vineyards. Therefore, research leading to improve SLF management and reduced insecticide use is essential for the grape and wine industry.

Solution and approach:

Our proposal aims to test an agroecological approach using toxic milkweeds planted along vineyard borders as a trap to kill SLF. After several anecdotal reports of SLF dying at the base of milkweed plants, we tested common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and found that it kills 60-80% of SLF nymphs and adults within 24 hours, even when grapevines are present as a food source. This proposal aims to 1) document SLF mortality when feeding on different species of milkweed that exhibit varying levels of toxicity, and 2) test the efficacy of milkweed planted in vineyard borders in reducing SLF populations. We will quantify the mortality of SLF adults enclosed in mesh cages with one of the following three milkweed species: Asclepias tuberosa, Asclepias syriaca, and Asclepias incarnata, which have low, medium, and high cardenolide (cardiac glycoside) content, respectively. At the same time, we will quantity SLF mortality when provided Riesling grapevines (control plants) and Riesling plus each of the above milkweed species. These experiments will allow us to select the milkweed species for testing in the field. We will plant the selected milkweed species in vineyard borders and quantify the SLF infestation levels from August to November for two consecutive years. Our results will provide new knowledge on the efficacy of milkweed as a novel method for SLF control in vineyards. Farmers will be reached and engaged through in-person and online extension meetings that will be co-organized by the project team for the duration of the project.

The goals of this project are (1) to quantify the mortality of spotted lanternflies when feeding on different species of milkweed that exhibit varying levels of toxicity to insects, and (2) to test the efficacy of milkweed plantings in reducing spotted lanternfly populations in vineyards. This research will generate knowledge of alternative strategies for spotted lanternfly control in the northeast US. If proven effective, growers will have a new, sustainable, and eco-friendly strategy to help alleviate the devastating effects of spotted lanternfly. Importantly, this method of pest management has the potential to reduce the use of toxic and costly pesticides.