Education Extension Specialist Iowa State University Ames, Iowa
Western and northern corn rootworms are considered economically important in much of the corn-growing regions of North America. Aside from significant yield loss from larval feeding and, to a lesser extent, adults, corn rootworms pose significant management challenges. Both species have overcome suppression tactics, such as crop rotation, insecticides, and Bt hybrids. Scouting is critical for identifying any issues with corn rootworm as well as potential resistance issues. Yellow sticky traps are a relatively easy way to sample corn rootworm adults and are a feasible option for farmers. We pioneered a regional sticky trap network for monitoring adult corn rootworms in 2021. The regional network is currently composed of university, industry, and government personnel in 12 U.S. states and 5 Canadian provinces. The regional network aims to coordinate scouting efforts to encourage farmers to scout, understand changes in populations between years, and promote the use of appropriate management strategies based on scouting information. We developed a shared protocol, data entry system, real-time maps, and a corn rootworm IPM (integrated pest management) website in 2021, and we provided free sticky traps to volunteers in exchange for information about the field traps were placed in. We discuss some results from Iowa in 2021, and we plan to summarize the regional data this fall to publish online.
