What do Lygus like? Looking for potential trap crops to reduce faba bean damage

Grain legumes, such as faba bean ( Vicia faba L. ), are crucial for protein supply and soil fertility enhancement through nitrogen fixation. However, faba bean cultivation is challenged by Lygus plant bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae), which cause significant crop damage and seed quality loss. This study ai...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Arthropod-plant interactions 2024-12, Vol.18 (6), p.1189-1199
Main Authors: Aguiar-Cordero, Teresa, Cárcamo, Héctor, Prager, Sean
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alternative crops
Beans
Behavioral Sciences
Bioassays
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Broad beans
Crop damage
Crops
Cultivation
Damage assessment
Ecology
Entomology
Flax
Host preferences
Insecticides
Invertebrates
Legumes
Life Sciences
Lygus
Miridae
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogenation
Original Paper
Plant Pathology
Plant Sciences
Soil fertility
Trap crops
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Summary:Grain legumes, such as faba bean ( Vicia faba L. ), are crucial for protein supply and soil fertility enhancement through nitrogen fixation. However, faba bean cultivation is challenged by Lygus plant bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae), which cause significant crop damage and seed quality loss. This study aimed to evaluate Lygus preferences between faba bean and alternative crops to develop effective management strategies. We conducted choice bioassay experiments under laboratory conditions and field plot experiments. Laboratory results indicated sex-based host preferences, with males favoring faba beans and females preferring canola. Field studies showed that faba beans adjacent to canola had higher Lygus abundance and damage compared to those next to peas, flax, and safflower. Safflower and sunflower demonstrated potential as trap crops to reduce Lygus damage to faba beans. Our findings provide insights into Lygus behavior and suggest that a combination of trap cropping, and targeted insecticide use could mitigate the impact of Lygus infestations on faba bean cultivation.
ISSN:1872-8855
1872-8847
DOI:10.1007/s11829-024-10095-0