Date: 3/30/99

Time: 3:35

Type: Symposium

Number: 155

Corn rootworm areawide management program in Kansas

*G.E. Wilde, Dept. of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506; J. Whitworth, R.A. Shufran, K.Y. Zhu, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS ; P.E. Sloderbeck, Kansas State University, Garden City, KS ; R.A. Higgins, , Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS and L.L. Buschman, Kansas State University, Garden City, KS
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KSU initiated a 4-yr rootworm areawide management project (RAMP) in 1997 with the cooperation of 47 growers in north central KS. The area is bifurcated into a managed area (16 mi2) and a control area (4 mi2). Both are intensely monitored with 12 Pherocon AM yellow sticky traps/field and by visually counting adults. The managed area is treated with SLAM if beetles exceed treatment thresholds (> 35 beetles/trap/week and/or 0.6 beetles/plant from visual counts) and the control area is not treated. In 1997, 2910 a (68.5%) exceeded the threshold in the managed area. In 1998, only 1640 a (33.8%) exceeded the thresholds. The control area had 951 a (72.8%) in 1997 and 1180 a (84%) in 1998 exceeding treatment thresholds. Corn roots were rated to quantify damage as a measurement of RAMP's effectiveness. The managed area mean root rating from 1998 fields exceeding treatment threshold in 1997 (and thus treated with SLAM) was 2.34. Mean root rating from 1998 control area fields not exceeding thresholds in 1997 was 2.13. 1998 control area fields exceeding thresholds in 1997 had a mean root rating of 3.06 while fields below threshold was 1.96. Additional studies currently being conducted include: determination of effects of SLAM on non-target arthropods, monitoring susceptibility of WCR's to carbaryl, determination of larval phenology, determination of relative WCR attractability to various Trece lures and correlation of various sampling techniques, conducting WCR alternate host surveys, development of WCR adult emergence profile, and continue development of methodology to transfer this new technology to the private sector.

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