The corn rootworm areawide management program was initiated in 1996 to demonstrate the effectiveness of semiochemical insecticide-baits applied over the landscape for management of corn rootworm populations. In certain parts of the U.S. corn belt the areawide management concept has been effective in limiting economically damaging populations of corn rootworm from infesting corn in the following year, and offers a new management option to existing insecticide and crop rotation practices. Although success has been acheived in certain areas it is not without a price. Areawide management requires intensive oversight and precise knowledge of insect population densities within the field during the growing season. Such practices are not the norm for typical corn production areas. In contrast, the development of genetically modified corn targeted at control of corn rootworm larvae offer growers a modern management tool that would be easy to use and would not necessarily require high levels of insect population knowledge or program oversight. Additionally, it may not be necessary to manage transgenic corn varieties over the landscape in the same manner that semiochemical baits are used. Thus, this discussion will focus on comparisons among these two unique management tools in an attempt to better identify opportunities for their complementary use.
Species 1: Coleoptera Chrysomelidae Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (western corn rootworm)
Species 2: Coleoptera Chrysomelidae Diabrotica barberi (northern corn rootworm)
Species 3: Coleoptera Chrysomelidae Diabrotica virgifera zeae (Mexican corn rootworm)
Keywords: Transgenics, Areawide management
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA