It is the ?billion-dollar pest.? It is not an exaggeration that corn rootworm takes its toll on the pocketbooks of producers across the country. If it is not the damage that it causes, then it is the cost of fighting them. Even though it is wintertime, you must have a plan in place to attack them in 2021. Every year is different in the battle against corn rootworm, but there are lessons you can learn from previous years and new weapons available in that battle. Bayer is working hard to help you win the war against the billion-dollar pest.
Audio: Full interview with Jody Gander of Bayer
Jody Gander is North American Technology Development Manager for Corn Traits at Bayer. He says that the rootworm pressure in 2020 was heavier than normal. He says conditions were just perfect for them to get a strong start.
Gander says growers need to think about the potential for strong survival again next year. He says that producers should also look at multiple tools to use against the rootworm, so you have a head start on them before they can take hold. That fight starts upfront with the hybrids you pick. You need to make sure you have the right traits going into your fields.
Gander also talks about some of the other simple steps you can take to fight corn rootworm in your fields. One of the simplest is crop rotation.
Monitoring tools, such as sticky traps, go a long way into helping you scout your fields for infestation. Increased awareness about the pest can go a long way to helping prevent them from doing heavy damage. Even if we aren?t having a bad year of infestation, it is good to keep monitoring your fields. Bayer has a program called ?The Watch?, where you can learn more about different techniques in observing and defeating corn rootworm. If you want more information on Bayer traits and SmartStax? technology, visit your local retailer.
