CABI scientist in China – as part of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA)-CABI Joint Laboratory (Joint Lab) – are making progress which could help prevent the brown marmorated stink bug spreading in New Zealand.
Zespri International – the world’s largest marketer of kiwifruit, selling in over 50 countries – is funding research to understand the lifecycle of the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) on organic and conventional kiwifruit in China, part of its native range.
Dr Jin-ping Zhang, Senior Project Scientists based at CABI’s centre in China, has also been busy testing the efficacy of a natural enemy for the brown marmorated stink bug – the parasitoid Asian Samurai Wasp (Trissolcus japonicus).
The brown marmorated stink bug is a global pest which in 2016 caused $60m worth of damage to Georgia’s hazelnut (a third of its crop) and in 2010, $37m worth of apples were destroyed in parts of the USA.
It is the kiwifruit industry’s second-most unwanted biosecurity threat after fruit flies and the risk of it entering New Zealand is considered extreme. If it were to enter New Zealand it would have no problem establishing due to New Zealand’s highly suitable climate and abundance of host material. Its entry and establishment would result in significant production impacts to many horticultural industries including kiwifruit.
Dr Zhang said, “Incidence of damaged fruit increased with time during the fruit growing season, due to a cumulative effect in both organic and conventional orchards. The highest incidence of damaged fruit was 70% in organic orchard, and 53% in conventional orchard in 2019 from our four-year survey results. While it has been intercepted at many borders, we cannot assume that this has been the case at all borders.
“Our project is seeking to understand the impacts of the pest and its phenology in different kiwifruit management systems. There is also a requirement to know better the abundance and diversity of parasitoids in kiwifruit. Part of this is investigating optimum release numbers of T. japonicus, timing and frequency in kiwifruit.”
Her research has so far shown that brown marmorated stink bug egg periods optimum for parasitoid release are May to middle June and from early July to middle August.
Dr Zhang adds that three continuous releases of the natural enemy in May was effective, for example, to control the first generation of eggs – therefore, keeping the fruit damage at a low level until the end of July.
Dr Zhang said, “Incidence of damaged fruit increased with time during the fruit growing season, due to a cumulative effect in both organic and conventional orchards. The highest incidence of damaged fruit was 70% in organic orchard, and 53% in conventional orchard in 2019 from our four-year survey results. While it has been intercepted at many borders, we cannot assume that this has been the case at all borders.
“As such, the biosecurity of this organism is high. T. japonicus appears to be an effective control option as part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan. If this could be imported to New Zealand in readiness of an incursion, then it could be used as a biological control agent.”
Additional information
Main photo: Brown marmorated stink bug is a significant threat to kiwifruit but researchers are hitting back with a potential natural enemy for the pest (Credit: CABI).
Publications
Chen JH, Avila GA., Zhang F, Lindy FG, Sandanayaka M, Mi QQ, Shi SS, Zhang JP. (2020). Field cage assessment of feeding damage by Halyomorpha halys on kiwifruit orchards in China. Journal of Pest Science. 93(3):953-963. DOI: 10.1007/s10340-020-01216-8
Avila, G., Chen, J., Li, W., A Gene cloning lavi, M., Mi., Q, Sandanayaka, M., Zhang, F., Zhang, J. 2021. Seasonal abundance and diversity of egg parasitoids of Halyomorpha halys in kiwifruit orchards in China. Insects. 12(5): 428. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050428
Li, W.J., Chen, J.H., Avila, G.A., Ali, M.Y., Tian X.Y., Luo, Z.Y., Zhang, F., Shi, S.S., Zhang, J.P. (2023). Performance of two egg parasitoids of brown marmorated stink bug before and after cold storage. Frontiers in Physiology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1102216
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23 September 2022
