Stinkbug complex of soybean glycine max (l.) Merrill and the importance of insecticidal control in the northern guinea savanna area of Nigeria

Field experiments were conducted in Samara for a two year period (1996 and 1997) to identify the major pod sucking bugs of soybean and to determine the effect of insecticides and frequency of application on the bugs and soybean yield. Nezara viridula L. Halydicoris ventralis Dall. Sphaerocoris annulus Fab. and Agonoscelis versicolor Fab. were the major bugs and their population were less than two bugs per plot. Also, insecticides and frequency of spray application had no significant effect on the pod sucking bugs population, percentage damage pods, seed damage index, 100 seed weight and seed yield per hectare. Hence, except the status of the pod sucking bugs population in this area of study changes significantly (possibly due to the influence of environmental factors and cropping patterns) soybean may be grown in this area with no insecticidal protection.