Integrated trap crop and pheromone trap cystem for organic management of brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys)

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) causes significant economic losses to organic farmers due to its broad feeding range and apparent lack of effective native natural enemies.  This study explored an innovative non-chemical approach that combined a highly attractive trap crop buffer with commercially available baited ‘RESCUE’ stink bug traps (yellow and green pyramid style) to manage BMSB.  A randomized complete block design with two field replicates per block was used to test the effectiveness of the integrated approach in protecting an inter-planting of four economically important and highly susceptible vegetable crops, okra (‘Clemson Spineless’), sweet pepper (‘Red Ace’), tomato (‘Big Boy’), and summer squash (‘Zephyr’), on a USDA-certified organic farm (Berkeley County, WV).  The BMSB treatment consisted of a 1 m wide border strip of green amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) and sunflower (Helianthus spp.) planted to form a perimeter around the vegetable crops.  Control plots received neither trap crop buffers nor stink bug traps.  For all four vegetable varieties, BMSB and natural enemy densities were recorded weekly 1 June – 20 September 2012 through visual plant sampling, and BMSB damage and crop yield data were recorded at harvest.  BMSB collected in stink bug traps were removed and recorded weekly.  The effectiveness of the trap crop/RESCUE trap system in reducing BMSB densities and crop losses was assessed.