A network of over fifty 15-watt blacklight insect survey traps and 30” Hartstack corn earworm (CEW) pheromone traps is deployed on participating farms as part of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) vegetable Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program.
Locations of blacklight traps have been established using a handheld Trimble Geoexplorer II Global Positioning System (GPS) unit, or through mapping software. The traps are well distributed throughout the agricultural areas of the state. Traps are checked two times per week at three- and four-day intervals. Numbers of CEW and European corn borer (ECB) from blacklights, and CEW from pheromone traps are averaged for the duration of the sample. Beginning in 2011, Brown mamorated stinkbug (BMSB) maps are included in the network as well.
The trap counts were entered into an Excel database and imported into ArcView, a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software package (ESRI, Redlands, CA) where the data were linked to the trap locations. Weekly pest distribution maps were created and disseminated to the agricultural community via a weekly plant and pest advisory newsletter available by fax, mail, and the internet.
Project Coordinators:
Kris Holmstrom
E-mail: holmstrom@njaes.rutgers.edu
Joseph Ingerson-Mahar
E-mail: mahar@njaes.rutgers.edu
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Phone: (732) 932-9802
George Hamilton
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Phone: (732) 932-9801
E-mail: hamilton@njaes.rutgers.edu