Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** alfalfa is one of the most…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** alfalfa is one of the most important crops grown in the united states, as IT provides vital feed for the dairy and livestock industries. However, lygus BUG is a major insect pest of alfalfa grown for seed and is an ongoing challenge for growers. Some effective pesticides that control lygus are no longer widely available for use by alfalfa growers, and alternative pesticide options often come with other issues, such as negative impacts on beneficial insects. This can lead to detrimental impacts, such as the loss of insect predators of lygus bugs or pollinators that are a vital part of alfalfa seed production. Therefore, alternative control measures for lygus bugs are needed that are both effective at controlling this devastating pest and that minimize harm to beneficial insects. In this project, we will be testing alternative pesticides for their effectiveness in controlling lygus bugs, and their impacts on beneficial insects such as predators of lygus and pollinators. We will also be testing non-pesticide control options such as the use of biocontrol (e.g. parasitoid wasps) and physical barriers (e.g. netting) to reduce lygus damage to the crop. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide alfalfa seed growers with effective lygus control management recommendations that increase seed yields and minimize production costs. This project will be conducted with continuous input from alfalfa seed growers to ensure that our objectives and recommendations meet the needs of the industry.