Management of Brown Stink Bugs, Euschistus servus, in Seedling Field Corn

Brown stink bugs, Euchistus servus (Say) (Hempitera: Pentatomidae), are a pest of increasingly economic concern in maize, Zea mays L. (Poales: Poaceae) throughout the southeastern United States due to farm management and environmental factors. Seed treatments and/or in-furrow insecticide applications are applied to the majority of maize seed, and these treatments are effective in preventing injury from a wide range of soil borne insect pests. The brown stink bug feeds directly on the growth point of seedling maize when insecticides in seed treatments are still active in the shoot tissue at low-levels. It is unclear if the current management practices for other early season corn pests can prevent damage from stink bug feeding, and what level of infestation will cause economic levels of yield loss with and without a seed treatment. In 2019, field experiments were conducted to 1) determine the effectiveness of various rates of a common seed treatment and in-furrow insecticide applications on preventing early damage to corn and 2) determine the level of infestation in early season corn that causes economic impact with and without one of the most common rates of systemic insecticide seed treatment. The treatments tested for stink bug management included varying rates of clothianidin seed treatment, and in-furrow applications of bifenthrin and terbufos. Varying rates of infestation were tested for economic impact with and without the lowest commercial rate of clothianidin seed treatment.