The Sunn pest attacks wheat and barley in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other developing countries. Though over $42 million is spent for its control each year, yield loss from the insect is devastating in some regions, estimated at 20-30% in barley and up to 90% in wheat.

For their research directed at fighting the Sunn pest, Bruce L. Parker and Margaret Skinner, entomologists at the University of Vermont, received the Innovative Marketplace Award, Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C., at the annual meeting of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.

Representing the university's Entomology Research Laboratory, the scientists presented a poster outlining their achievements in managing Sunn pest over the last ten years, done in collaboration with Mustapha El Bouhssini, a researchers at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Syria.

The research program developed by the international team focuses on insect-killing fungi that fend off the Sunn pest. More recently, the group has turned its attention to incorporating the fungi into a broad strategic approach, called integrated pest management (IPM).

“We’re ambassadors in a very troubled part of the world,” said Margaret Skinner, “I think Vermonters and people everywhere would like to know that we are helping in Afghanistan; we’re having a positive impact on farmers in Iraq.”

“We aren’t just sending in the National Guard,” she said, “we’re also sending in scientists to help.”

The team’s work was chosen for the award—through a panel of experts and by the over 1000 attendees at the meeting—out of 46 entrants from around the world, in honor of the outstanding, innovative partnership between UVM and ICARDA. The award included a prize of $30,000 to advance the research work.

"The University of Vermont's world leadership in Sunn pest research is clear,” said Bruce Parker, the lead researcher in the partnership. “It severely limits production of wheat, a staple essential to feed hungry people. This insect respects no country borders, and our research helps to lessen poverty in a part of the world under heavy siege. The honor and prize recognize the university's achievement."

The Sunn pest damages crops by feeding on leaves, stems and grains. During feeding they also inject chemicals that greatly reduce the baking quality of flour made from damaged wheat. If 2-3% of the grain is damaged, entire lots may be ruined because the flour will be unpalatable and the bread won't rise. Heavy attack causes wheat stems to break before harvest.

The Sunn pest refers to a group of insects representing several genera of the 'shield bug' (Scutelleridae) and 'stink bug' (Pentatomidae) families, with the species Eurygaster integriceps being the most economically important. Sunn pest is found in parts of North Africa, throughout West Asia and many of the newly independent states of central Asia.

Large areas of wheat sometimes remain unharvested because Sunn pest damage is so severe. This insect also attacks barley, though damage is usually low. Large outbreaks of Sunn pest generally occur every 6 to 8 years and can potentially cause yield losses of tens of millions of dollars.

This release was created, in part, from information on the UVM Entomology Research Laboratory website, http://www.uvm.edu/%7Eentlab/sunnpest/index.html, and from outreach writing by Jack Reeves, LakeOconee@aol.com.

For more information, contact Bruce L. Parker, Bruce.Parker@uvm.edu, or Margaret Skinner, mskinner@uvm.edu.