Rootworm Season is Not Far Away

Hello everyone. Hopefully planting has been going well for you all. It won’t be too long until those pesky rootworms will start showing up and then they will turn into the adult rootworm beetles. 

Most corn hybrids are using a combination of two or more Bt events to keep ahead of the growing rootworm resistance. However it doesn’t hurt to check your fields for rootworm larvae and damage to the roots. Another sign of damage could be if you see areas of corn looking stressed even though there is adequate soil moisture. And of course the common sign of U-shaped or “goose-necked” plants. Often these issues will start to appear in affected fields in late June and early July if rootworm damage is present. 

The main damage we see from adult rootworm beetles is silk clipping which can cause poor pollination. Best time to spray for adult corn rootworm beetles is 7-10 days after tassel emergence when the corn is pollinating and the ears are silking. That is when most of the adult beetles have matured and emerged from the soil. 

This is a very busy time of the year with wheat harvest and the start of irrigation season. Please let me know if there’s any way I can help you stay ahead of these pests. 

So, be safe. — Dwayne