Influence of Roundup Ready Soybean and Roundup Ultra Herbicide on Geocoris punctipes (Say) (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) in the Laboratory

Abstract

Roundup Ready® crops have become the dominant weed control system throughout the United States. Therefore, laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of Roundup Ready soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, and glyphosate on the fecundity and mortality of Geocoris punctipes (Say). Mortality of third instars and adults (∼30 d old) and fecundity of females exposed to glyphosate by direct spray application or residual on soybean foliage were not affected over a 10-d posttreatment period. Mortality of nymphs and adults exposed to transgenic soybean foliage did not differ from mortality of nymphs and adults exposed to foliage of conventional, glyphosate-susceptible soybean. Exposure of G. punctipes eggs to glyphosate spray had no effect on egg hatch. The knowledge of the minimal effects of Roundup Ready soybeans and glyphosate on predaceous arthropods promotes the use of the Roundup Ready soybean system.