News

Corn rootworm concerns

The agronomy manager with Wyffels Hybrids says some areas of the Corn Belt continue to battle corn rootworm pressure.

Ryan Gentle tells Brownfield, “You know, the same hot spots are still there.”  He says, “Northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, you get into northern Iowa, that’s where the pressure still is.”

However, he says 2025 hasn’t been a bad year for infestations.  

“We do a lot of yellow-sticking trapping, and we have for several years.”  He says, “I’d say overall it’s pretty normal actually, maybe down a little bit from years past.”

Gentle says growers should keep an eye out for adult beetles during harvest and identify heavily populated fields for further integrated pest management plans, which can include crop rotation, traited seed, and insecticide.

AUDIO: Ryan Gentle – Wyffels Hybrids