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Member Symposium

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Current Research and Future Challenges for Management of Corn Pests

Ecological considerations for entomopathogenic nematode control of corn rootworms

Sunday, November 10, 2024
9:20 AM – 9:35 AM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 127 A, PCC
Oral Presentation

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica v. virgifera, and northern corn rootworm, D. barberi, are the most significant economic pests of field corn in the United States causing over $2 billion in management costs and yield losses annually. Resistance to management tools including insecticides, crop rotation, and transgenic varieties has been extensively documented and alternative approaches are needed. Extensive research has focused on the use of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) as a biological control of corn rootworms, while current efforts are aimed at augmenting EPNs in continuous corn systems. The purpose of this talk is to discuss some of the ecological factors that may influence EPN efficacy against corn rootworm species in the field. Findings from research investigating the effects of host species, population and phenotype, and interaction with other entomopathogenic fungi, on EPN efficacy will be presented.