Stink Bug Sightings Found in Ontario

Apr 09, 2014

Ministry of Agriculture Puts out Warning about the Marmorated Stink Bug

Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture (OMAF) is worried about the spread of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB). The invasive species can cause widespread damage to fruit, vegetable and soybean crops.

The stink bug could become a real nuisance for Ontario farmers this year.

It has already been spotted in two areas of the province – London and Chattam. The ministry says that the bug tends to come from urban areas first then find their way into farmers’ fields.

The invasive insect pest originating from Asia poses a serious threat to the agriculture industry because they feed on fruit, vegetable and soybean crops. According to OMAF, the bug will feast on more than 170 varieties of plants and crops.

Farmers in the United States experienced high numbers of the bug in 2013. Stink bugs have been found in 33 states. The U.S. Apple Association reported that the stink bug caused $37 million in losses in 2010.

Provincial officials are asking anyone who finds a stink bug to catch it, take a photo and send the image to the ministry for identification. More information about the BMSB can be found here.

Video: LALEXPERT: Sclerotinia cycle and prophylactic methods

White rot, also known as sclerotinia, is a common agricultural fungal disease caused by various virulent species of Sclerotinia. It initially affects the root system (mycelium) before spreading to the aerial parts through the dissemination of spores.

Sclerotinia is undoubtedly a disease of major economic importance, and very damaging in the event of a heavy attack.

All these attacks come from the primary inoculum stored in the soil: sclerotia. These forms of resistance can survive in the soil for over 10 years, maintaining constant contamination of susceptible host crops, causing symptoms on the crop and replenishing the soil inoculum with new sclerotia.