The Harrison County Pest Resistance Management Project team will hold a field day Wednesday, July 7. The event, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., will include both herbicide and fungicide trials in soybeans at a farm southwest of Logan, operated by Larry Buss. This event is free and open to the public.
Corteva Agriscience recently confirmed resistance to the Cry34/35Ab1 Bt protein in Delaware County.
Three of four Bt traits targeting corn rootworm (Cry3Bb1/Yieldguard rootworm; mCry3A/Agrisure RW; and eCry3.1Ab + mCry3A/Agrisure Duracade) are not reliable for rootworm control due to widespread resistance. Due to a reduction in effectiveness of the Cry3 proteins, farmers have come to rely upon Cry34/35Ab1 for rootworm protection, placing significant selection pressure on this trait.
Larry leads the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program in Harrison County, which focuses on pest resistance.
“We’ve had the privilege of working with Larry on creation, development and implementation of the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program for the past four years. Larry has been a leader in the Iowa program from its inception in 2015,” says Evan Sivesind, program manager at ISU.
Resistance to pesticides, genetic traits and other control practices continues to show up in weeds, insects and disease pathogens in Iowa. If this problem isn’t addressed, crop yields will decrease, or crop production costs will increase — or both. Iowa has taken the lead on the issue by creating and implementing the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program.
By Paul Lasley, Iowa State University Sociologist
In my last editorial I argued that group action is required if we are to effectively manage field crop pests by concluding, “Some things are too big for anyone to accomplish alone and too important not to try to do together.”
There is little doubt that productivity gains in corn and soybeans can be attributed, in part, to better pest management, which often relies upon herbicides and insecticides. However these pesticides are becoming less effective.
By Paul Lasley, Iowa State University Sociologist
For the second year, ISU is testing a Redekop Seed Control Unit on Iowa farm fields to determine the economic feasibility of harvest weed-seed control.
