1998 ESA North Central Branch Meeting Abstract
62 OVERVIEW OF AREAWIDE MANAGEMENT EFFORTS FOR WESTERN CORN ROOTWORM.
L. D. Chandler, USDA-ARS, Northern Grain Insects Research Laboratory, 2923 Medary Avenue, Brookings, SD 57006
The corn rootworm areawide management program was initiated (Phase I) in 1996 by ARS in cooperation with numerous university and USDA partners. Study sites were selected and background information gathered during this initial phase which led to full scale implementation (Phase II) in 1997. Evaluations of the program were conducted at three University cooperator sites (16 sq. miles in size): A) north central Kansas; B) east central Iowa; and C) north central Illinois and Indiana. Two similar sized ARS sites were also used for evaluation of the concept: A) Bell County, Texas, and B) Brookings County, SD. Western corn rootworm populations were numerous at all of the University cooperator and the Brookings, SD ARS sites. Corn rootworm beetles were reduced in number at all sites following applications of the semiochemical insecticide-bait, SLAM. Economic and sociological surveys were conducted at all University cooperator sites to determine the impact of the program on local growers. Evaluation of corn rootworm adult susceptibility to carbaryl, the toxicant within SLAM, was conducted at all study sites and across the U.S. Corn Belt. No insecticides resistance problems were noted in the areawide management sites. Supplemental studies, inlcuding impact of insecticide-baits on non-target arthropods, development of improved bait formulations, evaluation of new adult rootworm toxicants, and determination of rootworm resistance development to cucurbitacins were also conducted. Questions remain regarding the success of the program during 1997 and the future of this type of IPM program in the Corn Belt. Data will be collected in 1998 to further assess the utility of SLAM and to determine if the areawide management organizational concept will become a model cooperative effort for future agronomic crop management activities throughout the U.S.
This paper will be presented on Monday.
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