1. Purdue-Indiana Seed Industry Forum
Christian Krupke
Assistant Professor
Field Crops Entomology

2. History of Field Crops Pest Management
In the beginning…
Insecticides applied with seed at planting (corn) or as foliar sprays in response to infestation (corn and soybeans)

3. Soil and Foliar Insecticides
Disadvantages:
Efficacy of soil insecticides - declining w/ earlier planting?
Equipment - requires planter modification or sprayer
Timing issues - must scout fields to target treatments
Non-target effects - all beneficial insects wiped out
Asian lady beetle
= SBA predators

4. Trends in Field Crops Pest Management
New directions:
General movement toward targeted, selective control
agents (EPA-supported)
Insecticide-treated seed (Cruiser, Poncho, Gaucho)
Transgenic seed (B.t. corn)

5. Key pests of Indiana field crops
Western corn rootworm

6. Western corn rootworm in Indiana
WCR variant risk map
WCR variant is prevalent in IN and IL
Many Indiana producers deal with very high pressures in first-year corn
Sales of B.t. corn (incl. Poncho 250) and Poncho 1250 have been strong

7. Root Rating Performance, 2005
Current seed treatments not effective under high WCR pressures
Location
Cruiser
1.125
Poncho
1250
Check
Lafayette, IN
0.93
0.19
1.83
Wanatah, IN
0.10
0.08
0.79
Columbia City, IN
0.06
0.09
Dekalb, IL
0.78
2.37
Monmouth, IL
0.55
2.25
Urbana, IL
1.21
2.32
Crawfordville, IA
1.63
1.16
2.40
Nashua, IA
2.27
1.40
2.88
1 Node Injury Scale =no damage, 3=severe root pruning, 0.25 or greater-plants likely predisposed to a significant yield loss.

8. Root Rating Performance 2005
High CRW Pressure, IN, IL & IA

9. B.t. Corn Registrations for CRW1 as of November 2005
Company
Transformation/Event
Crystalline Protein
Trade Name
Monsanto
Mon 863
Cry3Bb12,3
YieldGard
Rootworm
(YGRW)
Dow AgroSciences & Pioneer Hi-Bred
DAS
Cry34Ab12,3
/Cry35Ab12,3
Herculex RW
Syngenta
MIR604
mCry3A2,3
Agrisure RW
(Experimental Use Permit)
**All require a 20% refuge of non-B.t. corn**

10. Key pests of Indiana field crops
Soybean aphid
Quebec
Ontario
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Year of detection

11. Seed Treatments for Soybean
Common name:
Chemistry:
Manufacturer:
EPA Reg?
Insects:
Cruiser 5FS
thiamethoxam
nicotinoid
Syngenta
Yes
‘early season protection’
SBA, Bean leaf beetle, wireworm, seedcorn maggot
Gaucho
imidacloprid
nicotinoid
Bayer CropSci
Yes
Early/mid-season
Protection
“Up to 65 days of activity”

12. Mortality lasts for 35 days ~ V3/V4 plant stage
- aphids placed on leaves from Cruiser-treated plants
- mortality after 24 & 48 hours recorded
Percent Mortality (%) + SEM
Days after planting
Mortality lasts for 35 days ~ V3/V4 plant stage

13. Field data - University of Minnesota
Cruiser reduced aphid-pressure by half
compared to an untreated control

14. Weeks below threshold of 250 SBA/plant
MSU Cage Study, 2003
Untreated
Cruiser 50
100
150
200
250
June 23 30
July 7 14 21 28
May
Gaucho

15. Soybean Aphid in Indiana
Indiana aphid problems start later due to SBA summer migration (many of our aphids may not be “Indiana aphids”)
This complicates treatment decisions - When and where are seed treatments recommended for SBA?
Economics of commercial vs. seed production

16. Research Areas for 2006 and beyond
Corn rootworm:
20% refuge requirement evaluations - which works best vs. economics
Field evaluations of Herculex, Agrisure vs. Yieldgard
Soybean aphid:
Cruiser works in the short-term - but is it a good fit for Indiana?
Gaucho - validate levels of SBA control under IN field conditions
Economic analysis of seed treatments w.r.t. seed production - When are they worth the added cost to Indiana producers?

17. Questions?