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Tag Archives corn rootworm

“jumping on the corn bandwagon.” (Farmtario photo by John Greig)
Crops

Corn pests to watch over the next month

OMAFRA Field Crop Report for the week of July 15

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Like many other pests, corn rootworm (CRW) is ahead of schedule this year. Adult beetles will be emerging this week or next. Anyone considering trapping for adults as part of the Corn Rootworm Trap Network should be setting up their trap sites soon. Monitoring for CRW adults using sticky traps is an effective tool for flagging fields […] Read more
In a four-year crop plan, the best advice is to plant wheat to break the cycle of corn rootworm numbers.
2023 Corn Guide, Crops, News

By the numbers – corn rootworm in 2023

Populations were lower but intensity in some regions was higher

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Concerns about corn rootworm have increased in the past two years as numbers continue to rise across the province, particularly in areas where corn is a feed source for livestock. Two years ago, Tracey Baute, field crops entomologist with the Ontario agriculture department, noted that resistance to Bt Cry proteins had become an issue, where […] Read more
Bt-resistant corn rootworm is causing yield loss for silage growers.
Forage and crops

Silage growers urged to protect feed supply from Bt-resistant corn rootworm

Pest has caused significant yield loss in both Canada and the U.S.

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Some livestock producers in the U.S. corn belt have had to make a difficult and costly decision. They’ve harvested their silage corn for grain to salvage some financial return. Now a provincial entomologist says Ontario producers may face the same decision if resistance to the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) trait in corn continues to grow. Bt-resistant […] Read more
Spider mites have reached concerning levels in drier areas of the province and are showing resistance to chemical controls.
Crops

Concerns grow over control-resistant pests

Corn rootworm and spider mites top list of concerns in summer 2022

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Two significant insect pest problems have occurred this year, both stemming in part from building resistance to controls. Corn rootworm tops the list, according to Tracey Baute, field crop entomologist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).  Why it matters: Grain growers have limited tools to address spider mites and corn […] Read more
The RNAi trait in SmartStax Pro prevents production of a protein and without it, corn rootworm larvae can’t survive.
Crops

Advanced corn hybrid with an RNAi trait to launch in Canada in 2023

SmartStax Pro builds on existing SmartStax trait

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Glacier FarmMedia – Resistance to corn rootworm is becoming a bigger concern as populations continue to develop resistance to existing Bt Cry proteins. Three of the four proteins targeting corn rootworm are related to known cross-resistance, so a population that becomes resistant to one protein will exhibit resistance to the others.  The resulting recommendation to […] Read more
A trap showing two Western corn rootworm beetles. If the traps averaged two beetles per day, this meets the threshold for developing Bt resistance if Bt hybrids are in the field.
Crops

Corn Rootworm trapping study will encourage crop rotation

Results show corn rootworm pressure highest in counties with corn on corn rotations

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Corn fields in two southwest counties and one in the east are at the highest risk in Ontario of hosting Bt-resistant corn rootworm (CRW), according to results from a first-year, grower-led beetle trapping project funded in part by Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO). Tracey Baute, entomologist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural […] Read more
September forage report for Ontario
Crops, News

September forage report for Ontario

OMAFRA Forage Report for October 6

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Ontario Hay Listings is a free classifieds service provided by the Ontario Forage Council. Producers looking to buy or sell hay or straw are encouraged to post an ad. In 2020 there were several reports of corn rootworm injury to hybrids with below-ground protection from Bt traits. This suggests that Bt-resistant corn rootworm populations exist in Ontario. Continuous […] Read more
Just rotating pyramids of Bt traits won’t help as most of them are similar, say OMAFRA experts.
Crops

Lessons learned from U.S. struggle against corn rootworm resistance

Producers growing corn-on-corn encouraged to find new sources of feed

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Specialists from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs recently urged the province’s corn-growing livestock producers to take the issue of corn rootworm resistance to Bt traits seriously. They said efforts in the United States to slow the growth of resistance in corn rootworm to Bt-based control traits have not been effective. Why […] Read more
Ryegrasses can be “rocket fuel for ruminants,” with high digestibility.
Livestock

Silage options to rotate away from corn

Ryegrass, triticale, sorghum species all have potential to help avoid corn-on-corn rotations

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In Europe, it’s ryegrass. On the Prairies, it’s barley. In areas where either climate or pesticide resistance makes it impractical to grow corn, livestock producers nonetheless achieve good gains or high milk production. And, during a recent session hosted by OMAFRA, crop and livestock specialists encouraged Ontario’s livestock producers to consider rotating away from corn […] Read more
Fields in Huron, Perth and Durham counties have been identified with corn rootworm damage in Bt corn.
Crops, News

Signs of resistance to Bt trait emerging in corn

Farms with continuous corn are especially at risk and should scout their fields

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Farmers are reporting challenges with Bt corn rootworm with unexpected injury caused by the pest. A Canadian Corn Pest Coalition (CCPC) release says that growers, especially those growing continuous corn, are reporting that control is failing to some trait providers and research and extension scientists. Corn rootworm (CRW) has historically been one of the most […] Read more

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