Influence of two stink bug species (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) on soybean morphological traits

Abstract

Abundance of Halyomorpha halys (Stål), the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), and Nezara viridula (L.), the southern green stink bug (SGSB), after their introduction on the territory of Europe, has been constantly increasing. In order to assess potential damage, a set of trials was conducted in semi‐controlled, field conditions in isolation cages, 1 m in diameter and 1.8 m in height, during 2020 and 2021. Testing was done on five different soybean varieties that belong to 00‐III maturity groups (Fortuna, Romansa, Princeza, Sava and Senka). There were three types of treatments/cages, a control treatment without stink bugs (C), a treatment with BMSB specimens and a third treatment with SGSB specimens. In each isolation cage with stink bugs five specimens per plant were introduced. The results showed significant effects of stink bugs feeding on soybean plants. In 2020 the number of seeds per plant, average for all five varieties, was the highest in the C (118.9) while BMSB and SGSB treatments were with much less seeds (10.7 and 6.5 respectively).