Occurrence of stink bugs Pentatomidae family population on maize crop

Abstract

Abstract While we pay more attention to pests that cause impactful and easy-to-view symptoms, stink bugs have seriously harmed crops, even if the attacks are not as visible. We aimed to determine if Pentatomidae stink bugs were present in maize crops under field conditions in the present study. The experiment was performed in a completely randomized block design (RCBD) with a total of 36 treatments, four varieties (T1: ‘SP1’, T2: ‘Namuli’, T3: ‘ZM523’, and T4: ‘ZM09’), nine phenological stages, three replications and in a split-plot arrangement. Visual observations and respective insect infestation counts were performed in the central row of each treatment. Four species of phytophagous stink bugs (Pentatomidae) able to cause economic losses in maize were selected. All four species of phytophagous stink bugs, Dichelops spp., Euschistus heros, Nezara viridula and Halyomorpha halys, were found in maize crops on-station in Sussundenga, but adult populations of the species Euschistus heros and Halyomorpha halys had a significant occurrence in the phenological stages of maize. The treatments with maize hybrids were the ones that registered the most presence of stink bugs compared to the Open-pollinated varieties (OPVs). Higher stink bug frequencies were recorded for Euschistus heros.