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ARS Home » Plains Area » Brookings, South Dakota » Integrated Cropping Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #151575
Title: INTERACTIONS AMONG WESTERN CORN ROOTWORM (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE), YELLOW FOXTAIL, AND CORN

Author
item Ellsbury, Michael
item BANKEN, K - SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item CLAY, S - SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item Forcella, Frank

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2005
Publication Date: 6/1/2005
Citation: Ellsbury, M.M., Banken, K.R., Clay, S.A., Forcella, F. 2005. Interactions among western corn rootworm (coleoptera: chrysomelidae), yellow foxtail, and corn. Environmental Entomology, 34(3): 627-634.

Interpretive Summary: The objectives of these field studies were to 1) determine the influence of yellow foxtail as an alternate host plant for western corn rootworms in different soil types and 2) determine if yellow foxtail can serve as a trap-crop for western corn rootworm larvae to lessen canopy and root injury to corn. Soil types at the two study sites were a Vienna silty clay loam and a Brandt silty loam. Emergence from the relatively sandy Vienna loam was similar in either a wet (1995) or dry (1996) year. In the Brandt silty clay loam soil, western corn rootworm emergence was delayed in a wet year (1995) with increased soil moisture compared to a dry year (1996). Foxtail may serve as a buffer to western corn rootworm damage to corn and may affect rootworm development or susceptibility to transgenic corn, but only at the expense of crop yield losses due to foxtail interference.

Technical Abstract: Field studies investigated the effect of western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera LeConte) infestations alone, and in the presence of yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila (Poir) Roem. and Schult.), on corn root injury, lodging, biomass production, and yield. Adults emerged later from foxtail band areas and had smaller head capsule size than did individuals from areas without foxtail, consistent with earlier findings that foxtail in the diet of western corn rootworm was a poor nutritional substitute for corn. Data from this study suggest that the presence of alternate hosts such as foxtail and interaction with soil type and weather influence the degree and progression of corn rootworm damage and adult emergence in a given locality. The presence of yellow foxtail reduced lodging in some cases but also reduced corn biomass production and decreased yield. Even so, foxtail may serve as a buffer to rootworm damage to corn and may be a factor that should be considered in the development of resistance management strategies for transgenic corn modified for rootworm resistance.