D3082: Stink bug damage assessment in Nebraska corn

This study evaluated the effect of Euschistus variolarius (Palisot de Beauvois) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) feeding damage on field corn. Corn ears were artificially infested after pollen shed using zero, one and five stink bugs per corn ear, and maintained till physiological maturity. There is an overall significant effect of stink bug density on the proportion of damaged kernels. Proportion of damaged kernels is 0.22% for uninfested corn ears, 3.14% for corn ears infested with one stink bug and ~18% for corn ears infested with five stink bugs. Pairwise comparison showed that there is significant difference between zero infestation and infestation with 5 stink bugs. Results indicate that kernel damage increases with increasing stink bug density.