CORN ROOTWORM PILOT PROJECT, Variant Western Corn Rootworm

Eileen Cullen, Extension Entomologist

Stan Buman, Agren Inc. (a Carroll, Iowa based agricultural and environmental consulting firm) and Tom Green, IPM Institute (a Madison, WI based non-profit organization to foster recognition and rewards in the marketplace for goods and service providers practicing Integrated Pest Management - IPM) are looking for:

Ten farmers to participate in a Corn Rootworm Demonstration project. 

ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible for the demonstration project, the farmer must meet these criteria;

• Had a soybean field scouted in 2006 according to the University scouting protocol for Variant Western Corn Rootworm beetles (using sticky traps)
• Had beetle counts under the treatment threshold (less than 5 beetles/trap/day)
• Will plant corn in the same field in 2007
• Concerned that they will lose yield if they do not treat for rootworms in 2007
• Willing to put in a comparison test strip using a rootworm treatment (either insecticide or GMO of the same genetics).

DETAILS:

Fields having beetle counts under the treatment threshold of 5 beetles/trap/day are eligible to be enrolled in a pilot project.  If the scouting recommendation is “do not treat” for corn rootworm and a farmer is uncomfortable following this recommendation, the farmer can participate in this “proof of concept” pilot project.  It allows him/her to try the scouting recommendation on a trial basis without the fear of yield loss.

Farmers can save a rootworm treatment (either forego using a rootworm GMO or insecticide).  A test strip with a rootworm treatment (either insecticide or a GMO hybrid of the same genetics) for a side-by-side, end-of-season yield comparison will be required.  If there is a yield loss, cooperating farmers will be paid on the yield loss minus the rootworm treatment savings.

If Interested, Please CONTACT:

                                              OR

Stan Buman                                                                  Tom Green

Agren Inc.                                                                    IPM Institute

1238 Heires AVE                                                         1914 Rowley Ave

Carroll, IA 51401                                                         Madison, WI  53726

(712) 792-6248                                                           (608) 232-1528

stan@agren-inc.com                                                     tom.green@agflex.com

http://www.agren-inc.com/                                       http://www.ipminstitute.org/index.htm