Channel Field Check Up Series: It’s never too late to plan for corn rootworm

Oftentimes, the window from the combine reveals agronomic challenges that may have been overlooked during the growing season. If goosenecked or downed corn is found in a field, it may be an indicator of corn rootworm damage

Taking the time to dig up stalks and examine roots will confirm if corn rootworms were feeding earlier in the season. By harvest time, there is very little to be done to combat corn rootworm other than planning how to manage the billion-dollar pest next season.

Integrated pest management practices are key to keeping next year’s corn rootworm larvae from damaging cornfields. The easiest way to manage corn rootworm is to regularly rotate fields from corn to another crop such as soybean, alfalfa, sorghum or other cultivars.

If the field is dedicated to continuous corn, farmers should consider a traited product or corn blend product containing two modes of action for corn rootworm control.

Be sure to change up your approach to stay one step ahead of this unwanted pest and avoid using the same Cry protein for more than three years in a row.

Corn product selection is a critical component for achieving yield goals. While the selection criteria used for historic product selection are still key, it is equally important to select and implement the proper traits to manage insect pressure and maximize yields.

In Illinois, farmers should consider the corn rootworm pressure they encountered in 2021 when making cropping decisions for the 2022 growing season. Areas of northwestern Illinois encountered significant corn rootworm damage during the 2021 growing season.

Cornfields with considerable corn rootworm damage in 2021 should be rotated to soybeans or planted to a corn hybrid with multiple, effective mode of actions against corn rootworm.

Channel elite seed products are backed by trait technology from Bayer. These advanced technologies help protect your corn, soybean and specialty crops from insects, drought and other stressors and give you options for combating yield-robbing weeds.

With the help of your Channel Seedsman, you can find the right trait technology for your growing conditions on every farm and field. Visit Channel.com for more information about Channel products and to find a Channel Seedsman in your area.