JACKSON, TENN. (RFD News) — Crop pests are responsible for tens of millions of dollars in damage to Tennessee row crops each year, and researchers are working to better understand how to stop them.
At the University of Tennessee’s AgResearch Center in Jackson, scientists are studying emerging insect threats and how they can impact crops.
One focus of that research is the clouded plant bug, an insect that has seen limited study in recent decades but is known to feed on cotton and other plants.
Entomology graduate student Nathan Arey is raising the insects in a controlled lab environment to better understand their behavior and life cycle.
As part of his research, Arey uses sprouting potatoes to give the bugs a place to feed and lay eggs.
“So I started sprouting potatoes in the lab and kept them in a dark environment for a couple months,” Arey said. “They’ll start to produce large sprouts, and the insects will feed on the tuber and the sprout and lay their eggs in that potato as well.”
Arey says the clouded plant bug can be especially damaging because it feeds on crops at multiple stages of growth, including the terminal growing point, flowers, and bolls. That kind of feeding can lead to significant yield losses for farmers.
Researchers also warn that other pests could pose a threat this year. Entomologists predict stink bugs and kudzu bugs may impact Tennessee soybeans, while several types of borers could affect corn production.
