GREENSBORO, N.C., USA – As the growing season progresses and stinkbugs continue to increase their impact on soybeans,
Syngenta encourages growers to remain diligent in their scouting efforts. While this pest has typically been an economic problem for Southern U.S. soybean growers, populations are now appearing in fields farther into the Midwest, threatening yields more widely than ever before.
Stinkbugs are sucking pests, so their damage may not be as outwardly apparent as defoliating insects. They pierce soybean pods, then feed on plant fluids, causing shriveled, damaged seeds and flattened pods. The reduced quality and yield loss can be economically detrimental to a grower’s crop.
There are several types of stinkbugs that growers should look for when scouting. The most common are the green stinkbug, the brown stinkbug, the red-shouldered stinkbug, the red-banded stinkbug and the brown marmorated stinkbug.
In the Southeast this year, growers were initially seeing brown stinkbugs, but green stinkbug populations have made a strong appearance later in the season.
“Early-maturing soybeans served as a trap crop for stinkbugs,” said Ron Smith, Extension entomologist at Auburn University. “Populations reached economic thresholds, and early-podding soybeans had to be sprayed. As the season winds down, stinkbugs will be concentrating in soybeans as other crops dry down.”
Scouting for stinkbugs in soybean fields should begin as soon as plants start putting on pods. Since stinkbugs have two to three generations per season, there is plenty of time for them to do damage, so scouting throughout the entire season – up until pods reach maturity – is vital.
“This year, stinkbug populations have continued to build as soybeans reach R5 and R6,” said Gus Lorenz, Extension entomologist at the University of Arkansas.
Growers should focus their scouting efforts on fields as they reach those growth stages and only spray when populations reach economic thresholds in order to get the most yield benefit from their input.
Stinkbugs are also making their way farther into the Midwest than in previous years. Brent Rains, entomologist and field consultant for Crop IMS, said this year has had the highest number of stinkbugs he’s ever seen in southern Illinois.
“I used a sweep net in the soybean canopy, and I could not believe the number,” Rains said. “I was getting three to four times our economic threshold for stinkbugs, and the plants weren’t even at full flower yet.”
Growers should contact their local Syngenta representative or university extension service to determine the recommended economic threshold for their area. Frequent, visual scouting can help growers identify the pest problem in their fields, then sampling several different sites within a field with drop cloths or sweep nets can indicate population levels.
“Since this pest is spreading into regions where it hasn’t previously been a problem, growers may need to scout more actively than before,” said Brent Lackey, insecticide product lead at Syngenta. “They should have a management plan in mind so that if pest populations reach threshold levels, they can promptly apply an insecticide like Endigo
® ZC before the stinkbugs cause reduced quality and rob them of yield.”
Endigo ZC protects soybean crops from damaging insects like stinkbugs. Endigo ZC provides fast knockdown with residual control through three industry-leading technologies, including a proprietary Zeon
® concentrate formulation.
Proper insect control starts with each grower. Growers can test their pest expertise in the Virtual Scout Challenge at
SyngentaUS.com/VirtualScout for a chance to win a GoPro
® camera. Share your success and scouting tips on social media using #VirtualScout.
For more information about Endigo ZC and additional tips for scouting, visit our
Tools to Grow More Soybeans resource page. Join the conversation online – connect with us at
social.SyngentaUS.com.
About Syngenta
Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit
www.syngenta.com and
www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter
® at
www.twitter.com/Syngenta and
www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.
Media Contacts:
Bev Larson
612-656-8382
bev.larson@syngenta.com
Miriam Williamson
919-870-5718
mwilliamson@gscommunications.com
Web Resources:
Endigo ZC
Virtual Scout Challenge
Tools to Grow More Soybeans
Syngenta Newsroom
Know More, Grow More
Syngenta US
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©2015 Syngenta, 410 Swing Road Greensboro, NC 27409. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some crop protection products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration status. Endigo ZC is a Restricted Use Pesticide. Endigo ZC is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops and weeds. Do not apply this product or allow it to drift onto blooming plants while bees are foraging adjacent to the treatment area. Endigo®, Zeon® and the Syngenta logo are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. GoPro® is a registered trademark of GoPro, Inc. GoPro is not affiliated with Syngenta and is not a sponsor of this contest. Twitter® is a registered trademark of Twitter, Inc