Influence of planting date and cultivar on pod-sucking bug infestation and yield of soybean in northern Ghana

Soybean cultivation in Ghana is on a rapid increase because of its importance as food and cash crop. However, its production is constrained by pod-sucking insects that attack the pods and seeds. Field studies were conducted to deterimine the effect of planting date and cultivar on pod-sucking bug (PSB) infestation and yield of soybean. Four soybean varieties, four planting dates and two insecticide spraying regimes were evaluated. The results showed that soybean planted early (i.e. mid-June) suffered less PSB attack resulting in low seed damage and high yields. This suggests that mid-June is the best period to plant soybean to avoid PSBs for maximum yields in northern Ghana. Planting should be completed by mid July to avoid poor yields. The genotypes TGX 1799-8F and TGX 1834-5E consistently suffered less insect attack and can therefore be incorporated in an IPM package because of their relative resistance to insect pests.