Integrated pest management of the Southern Green Stink Bug, Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on tomato crop in north Florida

The Southern Green Stinkbug, Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a serious insect pest of tomato in north Florida. The main objective of this research was to investigate the potential of three trap crops and three varieties of refuge crops for their use in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of N. viridula on tomatoes. This research was conducted at the Center for Viticulture and Small Fruits Research, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida. The experimental trap crops were striped sunflower (Helianthus annuus), wild game feed sorghum, (Sorghum bicolor) and millet (brown top millet Panicum ramosum in 2014; pearl millet Pennisetum glaucum in 2015). The refuge crops were three varieties of sweet alyssum, Lobularia maritima (carpet of snow, royal carpet and tall white).;Among the three trap crops, the number of stink bugs collected from wild game feed sorghum exceeded the cumulative number from sunflower and none were collected from either species of millet. Sorghum attracted a significantly higher number of adults compared with the other trap crops, but both sunflower and sorghum served as host plants for Nezara viridula. In addition, 82% of stink bugs collected from sorghum were parasitized by Trichopoda pennipes, a natural enemy of late instar nymphs and adult stages of N. viridula. Although fewer stink bugs were found on sunflower, the sunflower was a good source of other natural enemies and pollinators, and also attracted a significantly greater number of the brown stink bug Euschistus servus another hemipteran pest. While this study demonstrated the attractiveness of sorghum to N. viridula , we recommend that sorghum be planted with another trap crop preferably sunflower for better preventive control.;Among refuge crops, all varieties of Lobularia maritima attracted natural enemies. The carpet of snow variety had the highest number of specimens and the greatest diversity of species of natural enemies. The tall white variety was also very effective in attracting Geocoris punctipes in tomato crop.;The population of Nezara viridula was significantly lower in the experimental plots than in the control, indicating that trap cropping and refuge cropping may be effective management tools for N. viridula in a tomato cropping system. The results of this field study confirmed the potential of selected trap crops and refuge crops for IPM of N. viridula on tomato crops in north Florida.