2nd Place: Seasonal incidence of larvae of the corn earworm and tobacco budworm, and their parasitoids, on hemp in Tennessee

Monday, November 14, 2022

11:42 AM – 11:54 AM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 215/216

Presenting Author(s)

Julian B. Cosner

Graduate Research Assistant
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee

Co-Author(s)

Jerome F. Grant (he/him/his)

Professor
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
MR

Mitchell Richmond

University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee

Production of industrial hemp, Cannabis sativa L., production has tremendously increased in the United States since its legalization through the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (a.k.a. 2018 Farm Bill). Though fiber and grain production have great potential for the hemp industry, most growers concentrate on floral production for secondary metabolites, such as cannabinoids, because of the expected higher cash value potential per hectare. This emerging industry has been negatively impacted by larvae of corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), which feed on the developing inflorescences where cannabinoid concentrations are highest. However, in eastern Tennessee a Heliothinae complex, including corn earworm and the tobacco budworm, Chloridea virescens (F.), occurs on hemp. Few reports have made distinctions between these two insect pest species on hemp, but their known natural enemies and development patterns differ on other agricultural crops; thus, they are expected to differ on hemp. Differentiation of these two species is difficult until the adult wing patterns can be observed. To investigate the seasonal incidence of these pests on hemp, larvae will be collected from hemp grown in different regions of Tennessee during the 2022 growing season and reared to adulthood or parasitoid emergence. Adult moths and parasitoids will be identified. Results will be presented and discussed. Understanding the incidence of similar pest species and crop phenology will inform pest management decisions to increase the productivity of hemp in Tennessee and the southeastern United States.