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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sunflower Improvement Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #410977
Research Project: Sunflower Yield, Crop Quality, and Interactions with Biotic and Abiotic Stressors

Location: Sunflower Improvement Research

Title: Towards a more holistic approach for red sunflower seed weevil management

Author
item Cluever, Jeffrey
item Prasifka, Jarrad

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/12/2023
Publication Date: 3/26/2024
Citation: Cluever, J.D., Prasifka, J.R. 2024. Towards a more holistic approach for red sunflower seed weevil management. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The red sunflower seed weevil, Smicronyx fulvus, is one of the most destructive pests of sunflower in North America. Insecticides have previously been an effective mainstay for weevil management; however, in parts of South Dakota populations levels are orders of magnitude greater than economic thresholds and pyrethroid resistance has been documented, making for expensive and ineffective management. While new insecticide options will likely become available, they may also become ineffective if used frequently. Furthermore, sole reliance on insecticides can negatively affect ecosystem services such as biological control and pollination. Therefore, a more holistic approach to weevil management is needed. To help provide additional strategies for managing the weevil, ongoing and planned research includes evaluations of early planting, early-maturing hybrids, host plant resistance, and biological control.