Trap crops for managing leaf-footed and stink bugs species in Alabama peaches

Field studies were conducted in central Alabama during summer and winter 2011-2013 to evaluate different trap crops for their use as management tools for leaf-footed bugs Leptoglossus sp, green stink bug Nezara and Acrosternum spp and brown stink bugs Euchistus in peaches. The summer trap crops evaluated were buckwheat, brown top millet, grain sorghum, southern pea, sunflower, and pearl millet and winter trap crops consisted of oats, winter peas, rye, hairy vetch, wheat and triticale. Plots of 10 by 6 m size were arranged around the perimeter of a 5-year old mature ‘Flameprince’ peach variety orchard covering ~0.688 ha. Except on very few cases for leaf-footed bug, the summer trap crops sunflower, pearl millet and grain sorghum were not significantly different from each other although more insects were observed on sunflower plots. With respect to the winter trap crops, wheat and oats did well in attracting the insects. In all seasons, Leptoglossus phyllopus were the most abundant (>70% of total insects) with brown stink bugs a distant second in the trap crops. Most of the insects appeared in the trap crops during the period when the trap crops were in their reproductive stages through seed development stages until the plant senesced. A combination of wheat and rye during winter and sunflower and pearl millet during summer may offer a better management strategy for these insects in peaches in Alabama.