Farmer Feedback: Needs Assessment Reveals Growers’ Views on Corn Insect Pests in Iowa
A survey of corn farmers in Iowa shows which insect pests are of most concern and that most are not seeing failures in management methods such as Bt crops. But they do look to IPM and extension agents for guidance in managing insecticide resistance.
Conventional Soil Management Draws European Corn Borer Toward Bt Corn
A study on European corn borer in conventional and organic growing systems finds an "unintentional attract-and-kill" mechanism whereby borers are attracted to corn in conventionally managed fields but then fall victim to Bt corn there.
The Problems Driving Resistance to Bt Crops—and Some Proposed Solutions
Cotton and corn are threatened by growing resistance in the pest Helicoverpa zea (a.k.a. bollworm or corn earworm) to the insecticidal properties of Bt crops. Two researchers identify contributing factors and identify insecticide resistance management practices that could help slow the problem.
Bt Corn Adoption Benefits Other Crops, Too
A new study of 40 years' worth of data from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States finds that widespread adoption of insect-resistant Bt corn has reduced pest damage and the need for insecticide applications in offsite, non-Bt crops such as pepper, green beans, and sweet corn, as well.