Corn Rootworm Bt Resistance Webinar Today at 11am
Register for today’s 11am central Webinar
Bt Resistance and Management Recommendations for Illinois
Corn rootworm remains the most economically damaging insect pest of corn in Illinois, though its impact in recent years has primarily been felt in the northern third of the state. The ongoing development of resistance to Bt traits has complicated management decisions for Illinois farmers. Join University of Illinois scientists to discuss the status of rootworm populations and Bt resistance throughout Illinois, as well as management recommendations for dealing with this troublesome pest.
University of Illinois Entomologists will host a webinar today (Thursday, March 30) at 11am central to discuss the issue. Nick Seiter, Extension Field Crops Entomologist says, “The situation with corn rootworm right now is really interesting and depends quite a bit on where you are in the state”.
University of Illinois Extension Field Crops Entomologist Nick Seiter discusses what will be covered in today’s (March 30) webinar.
If you farm in east central Illinois, you are probably not thinking too much about corn rootworm. Populations of the rotation-resistant variant western corn rootworm around the University of Illinois campus in Urbana remain historically low. However, north of Interstate 80 things change.
Some western and northern corn rootworm have become resistant to the Bt technologies used to control them for the last two decades especially when the crop rotation is corn-after-corn. This is particularly the case in DeKalb, Kane, Stephenson, Ogle, and Lee counties says Seiter, “We’ve seen an increase in corn rootworm problems over the last few years. Most concerning, we’ve seen unexpected damage to our pyramided Bt traits. This is very tightly associated with areas of continuous corn and especially long-term continuous corn”.
In response, Seiter and his entomology colleague on campus at the University of Illinois, Joe Spencer, are hosting a webinar for farmers and others interested in the rootworm, building Bt resistance in northern Illinois, and how to manage the issues.
The “Corn Rootworm: Bt Resistance and Management Recommendations for Illinois” webinar is scheduled for 11am today (Thursday, March 30) visit farmdoc Daily to sign up for free.