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

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