Sunn hemp: Development of a cover crop following spring vegetables

Sunday, November 13, 2022

4:18 PM – 4:30 PM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 306

Presenting Author(s)

Robert L. Meagher, Jr. (he/him/his)

Research Entomologist
USDA-ARS
Gainesville, Florida

Co-Author(s)

RN

Rodney Nagoshi

USDA-ARS
Gainesville, Florida
Shelby J. Fleischer

Professor, Emeritus
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania
JW

John Westbrook

USDA-ARS
College Station, Texas

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) is a migratory moth that annually migrates northward each spring from sites in southern Florida and southern Texas. This caterpillar pest feeds on and damages row, turf and vegetable crops in the eastern and central U.S. Before migrating in spring, it feeds on cover crops in central and eastern Florida that are planted after harvesting of spring vegetables and expands its populations. Multi-year studies showed that fall armyworm populations developed higher numbers in forage corn and sorghum-sudangrass covers versus lower numbers found in two alternative plants (cowpeas and sunn hemp). Different varieties of sunn hemp flowered at different times, and this resulted in different pollinator populations. Finally, predator populations were compared in plots containing the four cover crop plants.