New Corn Traits for 2022: What Do They Mean for Insect Pest Management and Bt Resistance?

Bt trait adoption in hybrid corn has been well over 80% nationwide, and this suite of approaches has largely been very successful in managing key insect pests. However, in recent years, many areas in the western regions of the corn belt have been increasingly forced to contend with resistant populations of the western corn rootworm. The story in Indiana and eastward has been somewhat different, with no confirmed reports of resistance and very low pressures from most pests, including rootworms. Beginning in 2022, a novel trait will be incorporated into corn hybrids – this approach uses RNAi technology to cause mortality in rootworm larvae, a very different mode of action from any of the current Bt offerings. Details on how this technology works, what reasonable expectations are, and how/if this is a worthwhile investment for Indiana producers will be discussed during Dr. Krupke's presentation.