Improvements in trap cropping to manage harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica), pest of cole crops

A trap crop, or a host plant preferred by a pest insect, planted near a cash crop can prevent or slow the movement of a pest population into that cash crop. By augmenting this system by applying a systemic insecticide a to the trap crop, creating a “dead end” trap crop, insecticide use is concentrated to the area of the trap crop alone rather than the cash crop. We have evaluated this “dead end” trapping system in collard (Brassica oleracea ‘Champion’) bordered by mustard (Brassica juncea ‘Southern Curled Giant’) in its ability to prevent feeding injury by the harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica) compared to collards grown with no mustard trap crop and collards grown with mustard border rows alone.