Popultions of Beneficil Insects in Orgniclly Grown Sweet Corn Using Methyl Slicylte Bsed PredLure Insect Attrctnt J.D. Sedlcek, K.L. Friley, L. S. Brent, nd M.K. Bomford Community Reserch Service Kentucky Stte University Frnkfort, KY 40601 john.sedlcek@kysu.edu
Kentucky Sweet Corn Fcts Sweet corn is mong the mjor vegetbles grown in Kentucky during the summer months Produced on smll frms throughout the stte Helping to replce lost tobcco income through sles t frmers mrkets, rodside stnds, KY Mrketing Coops, KY Produce Auction nd KY Produce Shippers In 2002 the totl crege in Kentucky ws estimted to be 810 h (2,000 cres) Since then production in Kentucky incresed 39% to 1,134 h (2,800 cres) Vlue of the crop is > $5 million
Methods of Insect Control Primrily insecticide use (Wrrior, Mustng, Pounce ) Trnsgenic insecticidl cultivrs (Bt corn) Trditionl resistnt vrieties Orgnic insecticide use (some Bts,, Entrust ) Biologicl Control (predtors, prsites, pthogens: nturlly occurring vs. ugmented) Mechnicl removl of insects
Conservtion Biologicl Control Incorportes prctices (e.g., chemicl ecology) tht ttrct predtors nd prsitoids into crop systems Strengthening the nturl enemy community by incresing density nd species diversity to suppress pests is the gol Exploiting beneficil insect ttrctnts (semiochemicls)) is growing field of CBC
Exmples of Semiochemicls 2-phenylethnol ttrctive to pink ldy beetle (Coccinellide)) nd green lcewing (Chrysopide( Chrysopide), developed into lure for predceous insects (Benllure( ) Methyl slicylte ttrctive to Geocoris pllens (Lygeide); syrphid flies (Syrphide( Syrphide); Stethorus punctum (Coccinellide); green lcewing (Chrysopide( Chrysopide) in hops (PredLure( ) Methyl slicylte ttrctive to green lcewing (Chrysopide); Hemerobius sp. (Hemerobiide( Hemerobiide); Derecoris brevis (Miride); Stethorus punctum (Coccinellide); nd Orius tristicolor (Anthocoride)) in grpes nd hops (PredLure( ) Methyl slicylte ttrctive to Coccinell septempunctt (Coccinellide)) in lbortory studies
Objective To determine the effects of PredLure beneficil insect ttrctnt on popultions of beneficil insects in orgniclly grown sweet corn
Mterils nd Methods Experimentl plots locted in the certified orgnic section of KSU s Agriculturl Reserch nd Demonstrtion Frm Sweet corn plots plnted using Syngent s untreted Grrison hybrid Plots were 21 m long X 12 m wide (0.03 h) Row spcing ws 0.9 m nd plnt spcing ws 20 cm Stndrd orgnic griculturl prctices were used
Mterils nd Methods con t. All plots were plowed nd disced nd preplnt ppliction of Nture Sfe fertilizer (10-2-8) ws mde Plots were roto tilled between rows when plnts were 6 lef stge, hnd weeded within rows therefter A RCBD ws used with three replictes of bited nd non bited plots
Lure nd Trp Plcement Five lures were plced in ech plot nd hung t er height One 15 cm X 15 cm sticky trp ws deployed t ech trp loction LT LT LT LT LT
Mterils nd Methods Trps were chnged weekly through nthesis Sticky trps were wrpped individully in cler plstic wrp, lbeled, nd trnsported to the lbortory for insect identifiction nd enumertion SAS ANOVA used to nlyze ll dt
Beneficil Insects Cught Pink ldy beetle, Coleomegill mcult Multi colored Asin ldy beetle, Hrmoni xyridis Spotless ldy beetle, Cycloned mund 7-Spotted ldy beetle, Coccinell septempunctt Prenthesis ldy beetle, Hippodmi prenthesis Big eyed bug, Geocoris punctipes Green lcewing, Chrysoperl crne
Pink Ldy Beetle Big Eyed Bug
Avg. No. per Trp. 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 P=0.7710 Pink Ldy Beetle P=0.5486 Aug 11 Aug 18 Aug 25 Smpling Dte PredAlure No PredAlure P=0.2837
Avg. No. per Trp. 3 2 1 Multi Colored Asin Ldy Beetle PredAlure No PredAlure P=0.5052 P=0.1711 P=0.4251 0 Aug 11 Aug 18 Aug 25 Smpling Dte
Spotless Ldy Beetle Avg. No. per Trp. 2 1 PredAlure No PredAlure P=0.5838 P=0.1831 P=0.5928 0 Aug 11 Aug 18 Aug 25 Smpling Dte
Seven Spotted Ldy Beetle Avg. No. per Trp. 1 PredAlure No PredAlure P=1.000 P=0.7085 P=0.1.000 0 Aug 11 Aug 18 Aug 25 Smpling Dte
Avg. No. per Trp. 1 Prenthesis Ldy Beetle PredAlure No PredAlure P=1.000 0 Aug 11 Aug 18 Aug 25 Smpling Dte
Big Eyed Bug 10 PredAlure P=0.5928 P=0.2737 Avg. No. per Trp. 8 6 4 2 No PredAlure P=0.7235 0 Aug 11 Aug 18 Aug 25 Smpling Dte
Green Lcewing Avg. No. per Trp. 1 PredAlure No PredAlure P=0.1731 P=0.2835 P=0.3265 0 Aug 11 Aug 18 Aug 25 Smpling Dte
Summry nd Conclusions Five species of ldy beetles, one species of big eyed bug nd the green lcewing were cught Pink ldy beetle nd big eyed bug were the two most bundnt predtors cught There were no significnt differences in bundnce of ny species found between PredLure bited nd non bited plots
Summry nd Conclusions cont. There ws tendency towrd higher numbers of Asin ldy beetles, spotless ldy beetles nd green lcewings fter deployment of PredLure in the bited plots Active ingredient of PredLure (MeSA)) hs been shown to be ttrctive to pink ldy beetle, seven spotted ldy beetle, green lcewing, nd other predtors in hops nd grpes in Wshington
Summry nd Conclusions cont. Could be due to plots being too close to one nother (i.e., semiochemicl [MeSA]) sturtion of the bited nd non bited plots Another explntion my involve the rte of emission of the MeSA from the dispenser nd the durtion of its effectiveness As temperture increses, rte of relese increses These lures my be susceptible to this phenomenon becuse they were deployed in August
Summry nd Conclusions cont. Experiments need to be repeted with greter seprtion nd during cooler periods Loction of lure when deployed (silk vs. tssel height) Need to deploy these lures in other vegetble nd fruit crops
Acknowledgments Dr. Hrold Benson, Director of Lnd Grnt Progrms Dr. Kimberly Holmes, Associte Director of Lnd Grnt Progrms Dr. Robert Brney, Associte Reserch Director Syngent seed compny, for providing ll seed used