Syngenta Thrive - 1Q/2013 - 23

Northern corn rootworm larvae

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Managing the refuge. Consistent refuge management is an important step in keeping Bt trait technologies that target corn rootworms viable, Battles says. To help combat resistance, the EPA requires growers to plant a portion of their corn acreage using a non-Bt-traited hybrid. The Agrisure 3122 E-Z Refuge™ trait stack, which features two modes of action for corn rootworm control and a 5 percent integrated, single-bag refuge, makes complying with these requirements simpler. Selecting seed treatments. Getting crops off to a good start is easier with CruiserMaxx® Corn 1250 insecticide/ fungicide seed treatment from Syngenta. A combination of separately registered products applied together, it provides instant, early-season, broad-spectrum pest control to enhance plant vigor and crop yield potential. Using soil-applied insecticides. Layering an insecticide, such as Force, on top of corn-rootworm-traited acres can provide an additional mode of action and lead to higher yield potential. Force also provides control of multiple early-season pests that traits alone may not control, including wireworms, black cutworms and white grubs. “Seeing is believing,” says Savinelli, who cites trials from the past five years in Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. “Data from 326 trials conducted from 2007 to 2011 show an average 10.4-bushel-per-acre yield increase when Force was applied to rootworm-traited hybrids.” While Force is available in a granular formulation, many producers prefer Force CS, a concentrated liquid that’s delivered through a convenient closed-application system that’s fully integrated with the planter. Interrupting the corn rootworm’s lifecycle. Each female lays up to 300 eggs during its lifetime. Warrior II with Zeon Technology® insecticide uses a quick-release capsule that helps control rootworm beetles before they lay their eggs, says Troy Griess, a Syngenta agronomy service representative in Iowa. He notes that the product also provides broad-spectrum insect control for rescue control of soil cutworms and control of foliar and ear-damaging pests, including Japanese beetle, corn earworm, Western bean cutworm and more than two dozen other pests. In addition, it provides contact kill of adult moths and eggs laid on treated-plant surfaces. Besiege™ insecticide also offers an excellent new option, since it provides all the benefits of Warrior II with Zeon Technology, plus another highly effective mode of action against difficult-to-control, yield-robbing worms that damage ears and foliage. Taking advantage of crop rotation. Corn-on-corn acres create the biggest challenge for corn rootworm resistance issues because they can allow the rootworm population to build up, Savinelli says. Effective crop

The Future of Corn Rootworm Control
An important weapon in the battle against corn rootworm is now one step closer to its much-anticipated commercial release. Agrisure Duracade™ traited corn, which features a new mode of action and represents the next-generation corn rootworm trait from Syngenta, has received registration approval from EPA. This milestone is good news for corn growers since corn rootworm populations and reports of resistance are on the rise. According to a study by Bruce Hibbard, Ph.D., a USDA research entomologist at the University of Missouri, the Agrisure Duracade trait demonstrated a 99.79 percent reduction in Western corn rootworm beetle emergence. When the Agrisure Duracade and Agrisure® RW traits were combined, the results—a 99.91 percent reduction—were even more impressive. “These are the highest raw mortality numbers ever reported in the refereed literature for Western corn rootworm,”* Hibbard concludes in the study. Once the USDA grants full deregulation for the Agrisure Duracade trait, Syngenta plans to include it—together with the Agrisure RW trait—in 5 percent integrated, single-bag refuge trait stacks that offer growers dual modes of action against corn rootworm. The company anticipates that products with the Agrisure Duracade trait will be available for the 2014 growing season.
*Reference: Hibbard, B.E., D.L. Frank, R. Kurtz, E. Boudreau, M.R. Ellersieck and J.F. Odhiambo, 2011. “Mortality impact of Bt transgenic maize roots expressing eCry3.1Ab, mCry3A, and eCry3.1Ab plus mCry3A on Western corn rootworm in the field.” J. Econ. Entomol. 104: 1584–1591.

rotations don’t always have to involve a 50/50 rotation of corn and soybeans, however. “Even two to three years of consecutive corn followed by a corn-soybean rotation is a big advantage over continuous corn,” Battles says. Proactive Management Remains Vital The mild winter in 2011/2012 magnified the corn rootworm challenge in many areas, but a multipronged approach is helping growers fight back, Griess says. “We took baby steps in 2012 to use more of the tools that control high numbers of corn rootworms while maximizing yields. Proactive management will be even more important going forward.” There is no one-size-fits-all strategy, adds Miloud Araba, Syngenta technical product lead for traits. “With a formidable pest like corn rootworm, you need all the tools and know-how you can get to fight back,” he says. “Retailers will play a key role in helping growers determine which combination of tools to use to control rootworms, manage resistance and protect the viability of corn rootworm traits and other products for years to come.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, check out these websites: > Force on Corn Rootworm Traits brochure > ForceOnTraits.com

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Syngenta Thrive - 1Q/2013

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