There have now been a couple of reports of kudzu bugs occurring on soybean in the southeastern corner of the state (Marion and Blount Counties).  Unfortunately, this will become a more common occurrence as this invasive insect continues its spread.  You can check on the current distribution of this pests at www.kudzubug.org.  It includes quite a few counties in the eastern one-half of Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi.  For now, its current distribution in Tennessee does not include counties with a lot of soybean acres.  My suspicion is that will change by the end of this season, and next year will be the breakout year for kudzu bugs in Tennessee.

My counterpart in North Carolina, Dr. Dominic Reisig, recently prepared a 7 minute video for Mississippi soybeans growers in the same position. It is definitely worth listening to (link here to access video). UT recommends treatment for kudzu bug in soybean when there is an average of 1 immature or 2 adults per sweep (please disregard the contradictory typo directing otherwise in PB1768, Insect Control Recommendations for Field Crops).  One of the biggest mistakes made is spraying too early for kudzu bugs, resulting in an unnecessary second spray.  Bifenthrin products such as Brigade 2E, Discipline 2E, and Fanfare 2E at 5.0-6.4 oz/acre are an excellent treatment.  Acephate (0.75-1.0 lb ai/acre), Karate Z or Warrior II (1.92 oz/acre), Mustang Max (4 oz/acre) and Declare (1.28-1.54 oz/acre) are recommended alternative treatments.