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Difficulty of corn rootworm management heightens
A crop specialist says corn rootworm is becoming more difficult to manage.
Kurt Maertens, tech service representative with BASF, says, “Specifically, the larvae feeding on the corn roots. We’ve seen a tremendous amount of pressure due to resistance to the Bt traits with the Western Corn Rootworms and then an increase in the extended diapause in the Northern Corn Rootworm populations. Kind of a double whammy.”
He tells Brownfield farmers could consider rotating corn and soybeans to help breakup the lifecycle of rootworm populations. “The pressures in some of these fields can be so high that it can overcome some insecticides as well. We’re trying to educate growers on scouting for rootworms and understanding the rootworm pressures that are out there.”
Maertens says BASF recently launched Nurizma, an insecticide that gives growers another option for rootworm control.
He spoke to Brownfield at BASF’s recent field day near Story City, Iowa.
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