MANAGEMENT OF WESTERN CORN ROOTWORM AND AGRO-ECOLOGY OF CORN CROPPING SYSTEMS

The goals of this project are to improve integrated pest management and insect resistance management for insect pests of corn. Improvements to integrated pest management will be achieved through field and laboratory research that studies various management tools to prevent yield loss caused by insect pests of corn, and natural mortality factors that affect the abundance of pest insects in corn cropping systems. Improvements to insect resistance management will focus on understanding the factors affecting resistance by insects to pest management practices in corn cropping systems. These goals will be achieved by completing the following objectives.1) Evaluate current and emerging management strategies for western corn rootworm and other pests of corn2) Quantify the risk of resistance by western corn rootworm to current management practices, and approaches for managing resistance3) Study interactions of western corn rootworm larvae with the soil community