Relationship Between Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (<i>Halyomorpha halys</i>) and Fumonisin Contamination of Field Corn in the Mid-Atlantic U.S.

Brown marmorated stink bug (<i>Halyomorpha halys</i> Stål) is an invasive agricultural pest that causes severe damage to many crops. To determine potential associations between <i>H. halys</i> feeding damage, <i>Fusarium</i> infection, and mycotoxin contamination in field corn, a field survey was conducted in eight counties in Virginia. Results indicated an association between <i>H. halys</i> feeding damage and fumonisin contamination. Subsequent field experiments in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia examined the ability of <i>H. halys</i> to increase <i>Fusarium verticillioides</i> (Sacc.) Nirenberg infection and fumonisin concentrations in corn. At the milk stage, <i>H. halys</i> (0 or 4 adults) and <i>Fusarium</i> (with or without <i>F. verticillioides</i> inoculum) treatments were applied to bagged ears in a two by two factorial randomized complete block design with 12 replicates. <i>H. halys</i> treatments increased levels of feeding damage (<i>P</i> < 0.0001) and <i>Fusarium</i> infection (<i>P</i> = 0.0380). Interaction between <i>H. halys</i> and <i>Fusarium</i> treatments influenced severity of infection (<i>P</i> = 0.0018) and fumonisin concentrations (<i>P</i> = 0.0360). Results suggest <i>H. halys</i> has the ability to increase both <i>Fusarium</i> infection and fumonisin concentrations in field corn. Further studies are needed to understand mechanisms by which <i>H. halys</i> increases fumonisin and to develop management strategies to mitigate impacts of <i>H. halys</i> on field corn in the region.