Progress 11/01/17 to 09/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience of this project included agricultural producers and consultants, personnel in the agriculturalbiotechnology, crop protection, and seed sales/agronomy sectors of the agricultural industry, Extension educators andspecialists in Illinois and surrounding states, and cooperating scientists from land grant institutions and the USDA. Changes/Problems:Over the course of the project, research on pest management in cover crops and Bt resistance management in corn rootworm and corn earworm have increased, while planned research on corn rootworm monitoring and western bean cutworm management have decreased. This reflects changes in pest populations (reduced area-wide corn rootworm populations made the proposed monitoring study methods less feasible), pest status (corn rootworm resistance to Bt has continued to increase in severity in northern Illinois), and production patterns (cover crop adoption and interest among clientele has increased, particularly in southern Illinois where early season pest outbreaks are more frequent). Future efforts in the new Hatch project will emphasize the following: Monitoring: Developing strategies with improved adoption rates for major pests such as corn rootworm. Bt resistance management: Continuing to assess Illinois rootworm populations in the field and laboratory, and developing alternative management tactics. Cover crops: Focus on identifying potential pest management issues and designing integrated pest management strategies specific to these systems. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A PhD student in my laboratory began a series of studies in Summer of 2020 to investigate the relationship between western corn rootworm attraction to various crop arrangements and the intensity and spatial distribution of larval damage the following year. He is expected to finish his dissertation and graduate during the 2022-2023 academic year. A M.S. student in my laboratory has been studying the pest and beneficial arthropod community of rye cover crops since Spring 2019. While his assistantship has been funded by additional sources, Hatch funding has secured additional supplies for this research. He plans to defend his thesis during Spring or Summer of 2021. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?See Objective 3above. Objective: Employ diverse delivery methods to disseminate information related to sustainable management of corn arthropod pests In the Field Crop Entomology laboratory at University of Illinois, we produced teninstructional videos (posted to YouTube) and participated in fivewebinars (archives posted to YouTube) during the three-year period of this project; the majority of these were produced in 2020. While efforts in this arena had been ongoing for some time, the pandemic accelerated these plans and shifted previously in-person Extension events to an online platform. Post-pandemic, we will continue producing online audio-video content, and plan to supplement many of our in-person offerings with recorded audio-video archives. In-person Extension presentations on various topics related to insect pest management in corn and soybean reached an estimated 3,317 individuals over the course of the project. Applied research results have been distributed to clientele through annual reports published by Illinois Extension. These reports, along with our blog/newsletter, fact sheets, videos, and other material will now be distributed through "CropCentral," a new website produced in collaboration with University of Illinois FarmDoc that will communicate interdisciplinary field crop production management Extension material from a single site: http://go.illinois.edu/cropcentral. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective: Investigate the ecology, biology, evolution, genetics and behavior of corn arthropods. A new series of field experiments was initiated in 2020 to examine the relationship between trap crop arrangements and corn rootworm larval density the following year. These experiments will potentially informefforts to conduct rootworm management research that rely on building an artificially high larval population; efforts to improve monitoring programs by better understanding the relationship between adult behavior and population densities and egg deposition; and alternative control tactics that rely on diverting corn rootworm adults and their egg-laying (e.g., trap crops). A series of field experiments and observational studies that has been ongoing since Spring of 2018 has examined the pest and beneficial arthropod community that inhabits rye cover crops in Illinois. These studies will yield foundational information for developing integrated pest management recommendations for these systems. Funding from Hatch has supplemented funding received through Illinois Extension and the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council. A third and final field season of these studies will be conducted in Spring of 2021, and the full results will be published thereafter in several peer-reviewed manuscripts. Objective: Develop and assess IPM and IRM systems for the arthropod complex in corn Corn rootworm (including both Diabrotica virgifera virgifera and Diabrotica barberi) remains the most important pest complex in corn in Illinois, and resistance to Bt traits is an ongoing challenge to effective management of this insect. A series of annual field experiments evaluating various controls at multiple locations within Illinois provide a continuous measure of field performance of these trait packages. In addition, populations of adults were collected from fourlocations in Illinois during Summer 2020 to conduct resistance bioassays with their offspring in Spring of 2021. During Summer of 2020, our group provided a location for the national corn earworm resistance monitoring sentinel plot experiment in sweet corn coordinated by Dr. Galen Dively, University of Maryland. This was the first year Illinois participated in this multi-state resistance monitoring project. In addition, we conducted a field evaluation of above-ground traits in field corn that we plan to conduct annually. Objective: Employ diverse delivery methods to disseminate information related to sustainable management of corn arthropod pests In the Field Crop Entomology laboratory at the University of Illinois, we produced teninstructional videos (posted to YouTube) and participated in fivewebinars (archives posted to YouTube) during the three-year period of this project; the majority of these were produced in 2020. While efforts in this area had been ongoing for some time, the pandemic accelerated these plans and shifted previously in-person Extension events to an online platform. Post-pandemic, we will continue producing online audio-video content, and plan to supplement many of our in-person offerings with recorded audio-video archives. In-person Extension presentations on various topics related to insect pest management in corn and soybean reached an estimated 3,317 individuals over the course of the project. Applied research results have been distributed to clientele through annual reports published by Illinois Extension. These reports, along with our blog/newsletter, fact sheets, videos, and other material will now be distributed through "CropCentral",a new website produced in collaboration with University of Illinois FarmDoc that will communicate interdisciplinary field crop production management Extension material from a single site: http://go.illinois.edu/cropcentral.
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Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience of this project includedagricultural producers and consultants,personnel in the agricultural biotechnology, crop protection, and seed sales/agronomy sectors of the agricultural industry, Extension educators and specialists in Illinois and surrounding states,and cooperating scientists from land grant institutions and the USDA. Changes/Problems:Efforts to evaluate sampling methods for the western bean cutworm have been stymied by continued low populations of this insect in Illinois. These efforts will be shifted to studying management of the corn earworm, a far more prevalent ear feeding pest in Illinois. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?An M.S. student began work in my program in January 2019. His thesis work will focus on the impact of rye cover crops on insect pest and beneficial populations, and will serve as a first step towards developing IPM recommendations for these systems in Illinois. A Ph.D. student began work in my program in August 2019. His dissertation work will focus on developing predictive tools and decision aids for corn rootworm in Illinois within the context of Bt resistance development and current low rootworm populations. Fourundergraduate students were employed on an hourly basis to assist with my applied research program. These students learned skills related to experimental setup and design, agricultural production, insect identification and scouting, and scientific data handling. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?As a state Extension specialist in field crop entomology, my program includes a heavy emphasis on the dissemination of applied research results. Stakeholders were impacted in the following ways in FY 2019: Presentations (field days, conferences, workshops) given to an audience of approximately 1,100 producers and other agricultural stakeholders. One-on-one consultation with 125 stakeholders related to insect management in a variety of situations, including 35 related exclusively or primarily to insect management in corn. Technical editing of bulletins related to insecticide mode-of-action, resistance management, and the impact of cover crop species on insect pest abundance. Interviewed for or cited by 22 external popular press, radio, TV, or newspaper features. Produced sevenblog articles for the Illinois Crop Management Bulletin and one blog article for Farmdoc Daily, Extension blogs published by University of Illinois personnel. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue with the second year of studies described above related to insect management in cover crop systems (Objectives2,3). Wrap-up the corn rootworm sampling project described above, and begin research efforts aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of molecular soil assays for predicting rootworm damage (Objective3). Begin efforts to monitor Illinois corn earworm populations for resistance to Bt traits (Objectives 2, 3). Continue to deliver applied research results to Illinois producers through a variety of mechanisms (Objective3).
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The western corn rootworm is the most economically damaging insect pest of corn in Illinois. Over-reliance on individual control tactics such as soil insecticides and Bt traits has led to increased management costs and the potential for resistance development. Resistance has now been confirmed in Illinois to threeof the fourBt traits that are currently available to control corn rootworm; resistance to the fourthtrait has been found in neighboring Iowa, and resistance to commonly used pyrethroid insecticides was recently confirmed in Nebraska. Farmers need reliable predictive tools to assess the need for corn rootworm control in their fields to remain profitable and prevent unneeded exposure to control tactics that can speed up the development of resistance. A primary goal of my program is to equip farmers with decision-making tools that will improve both the profitability of their operations and the long-term durability of rootworm control tactics. The adoption of cover crops has increased in recent years in Illinois, primarily due to their potential to reduce nutrient losses that are a critical source of water pollution. While nutrient, erosion, and weed management are primary targets of cover crop adoption, these tools have potential impacts on insect management as well. Both pest and beneficial insects (and other invertebrates) could potentially be favored by certain cover crop practices. Producers need access to insect management recommendations that are tailored to cover crop systems to maximize the potential benefits of these systems and avoid potential hurdles to their implementation. Specific accomplishments related to the objectives of my Hatch project in FY 2019 were as follows: Conducted the second year of sampling for rotation-resistant western corn rootworm in ten fields throughout Illinois, and evaluated larval root damage to fields that were sampled in 2018. Adult and larval rootworm populations remained low in Illinois compared with historical averages, in spite of continued resistance development to various Bt traits. Evaluation of larval damage will be conducted again in 2020 to wrap up this portion of the project. Due to the sporadic nature of corn rootworm populations in Illinois currently, efforts related to corn rootworm prediction and decision-making will shift. Example projects will include working with a private company to evaluate a molecular evaluation of soil samples as a rootworm prediction tool. A field study was initiated to compare pest and beneficial insect and invertebrate populations in fields that incorporate a winter rye cover crop with fields that do not. Fields (n=44) were sampled throughout central and southern Illinois using a variety of sampling methods to target different groups of insects; additional funding for this project was obtained from the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council and University of Illinois Extension. Additional field experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of rye termination timing on insect management in corn and soybean, and these efforts will be repeated in 2020. Fifteenapplied research trials were conducted to evaluate Bt traits and soil insecticides for control of corn rootworm larval damage. Results from these trials will be shared directly with producers and other industry stakeholders through Extension conferences, published results, and newsletter/blog posts. Populations of western bean cutworm remained low in Illinois based on communication with University and industry stakeholders. Efforts related to ear feeding damage in corn will be shifted to the corn earworm, which has increased in prevalence in Illinois in recent years. Efforts for 2020 will focus on determining the resistance status of Illinois populations of corn earworm to various Bt traits that are available for control, based on observations from producers and others in 2019 of unexpectedly poor performance of these tools. Results and recommendations developed by my applied research program were shared with over 1,000 agricultural stakeholders through presentations, over 100 stakeholders through one-on-one consultations, and with numerous others through print and electronic media.
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Progress 11/01/17 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience for my efforts during this reporting period consisted primarily of agricultural producers, consultants, industry personnel, and Extension personnel. Changes/Problems:If western bean cutworm populations continue to be at non-damaging levels throughout most of Illinois, I will likely discontinue this objective to focus more effort on the additional two objectives What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two undergraduate students who participated in different aspects of the applied research component of this project developed skills in small plot agricultural research, insect identification and monitoring, agronomic management, and data collection and handling. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?My program includes a heavy Extension component. Preliminary results of the research supported by this project have been disseminated to farmers, consultants, industry personnel, and other Extension personnel through field days, lectures, blog posts, and indirectly through popular press articles and interviews. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Western corn rootworm (Obj. 3): Conduct experiments to evaluate control techniques at three locations throughout Illinois; this will include assessing the field performance of Bt traits against presumed resistant or partially resistant populations. Continue the adult western corn rootworm sampling project and collect root damage evaluations from fields sampled in 2018, beginning a long-term database to correlate adult sampling with root damage. Western bean cutworm (Obj. 2,3): Communicate with pheromone trapping networks to identify populations of western bean cutworm and conduct preliminary sampling comparisons. Cover crops and pest management (Obj. 2,3): Start a graduate student in January who will assess differences in pest and beneficial insect populations between cover crop and non-cover crop production systems as part of thesis research. Comparisons will be conducted on commercial fields throughout central and southern Illinois. A cover crop termination timing study will be initiated in Urbana, IL to assess the effects on insect population densities and pest management.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Insect pests can have a substantial negative impact on corn production, which is integral to the economy of Illinois and the surrounding region. In addition to increasing management costs, over-reliance on individual tactics such as soil insecticides or Bt traits has the potential to select for resistance. Resistance has now been documented in Illinois to 3 of the 4 Bt traits that are currently available, and the 4th was recently confirmed resistant in parts of neighboring Iowa. Farmers need reliable predictive tools to assess the need for corn rootworm control in their fields to remain profitable and to prevent unneeded exposure to control tactics that can speed up the development of resistance. 2018 was the first year of Hatch funding for my program. I established a monitoring experiment to assess the predictive value, cost, and efficiency of current recommended sampling practices for western corn rootworm in rotated corn. Commercial Agriculture Extension Educators with University of Illinois Extension, along with staff from my program, sampled ten commercial soybean fields that will be rotated to corn in 2019. Fields were monitored using currently recommended practices for sampling western corn rootworm adults, and the time taken to monitor the fields was recorded. All fields were found to have western corn rootworm populations that were below the economic threshold, and this information was passed along to the participating farmers. Corn roots will be evaluated for larval rootworm damage in summer 2019 to determine if the sampling method will predict the correct management decision. When combined with the economic cost of monitoring over time, this information will be used to evaluate the economic performance and potential benefits of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to western corn rootworm management. Ultimately, these results will be used to inform and improve current monitoring recommendations, with the goal of increased adoption of IPM in corn production systems in Illinois. Additional progress and accomplishments under this project were as follows: Western corn rootworm (Objective 3). An applied research program was established to evaluate commercial and pre-commercial control tactics for western corn rootworm larval damage; seven field experiments were conducted at a single location in 2018 with partial support from industry groups. Trap crops were established at two locations and a commercial field of continuous corn with high populations of northern corn rootworm was identified to use for field experiments in 2019. Six Extension presentations were given and two blog posts were created to disseminate western corn rootworm management recommendations to producers. Western bean cutworm (Objectives 2 and 3). I communicated with University of Illinois and industry personnel who maintained pheromone trapping networks for western bean cutworm moths near corn fields. Moth populations were generally low throughout Illinois, and I received no reports of substanital damage due to larval feeding. If populations continue to be low in Illinois, I will discontinue the sampling comparison work proposed in my project submission to focus more efforts on the other objectives. Cover crops and pest management (Objectives 2 and 3). Two Extension presenations were given on insect pest management in cover crop systems. Populations of black cutworms and true armyworm in Illinois in 2018 were generally low, in cover cropped systems as well as in conventional systems, in spring of 2018 in Illinois. I planted cereal rye in replicated strips to conduct a field experiment on cover crop termination timing in corn in spring of 2019.
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