Project Number: 3622-21220-004-03
Project Type: Trust

Start Date: Sep 01, 2002
End Date: Aug 31, 2005

Objective:
The objectives of the current proposal are to 1) Evaluate western corn rootworm (WCR) larval movement under "normal" field infestations, 2) Determine WCR larval establishment and development on susceptible and transgenic corn, 3) Evaluate alternate hosts for their potential importance in the WCR and northern corn rootworm )NCR) life cycle, and 4) Evaluate stable carbon isotopes as a tool to determine host use (C3 vs. C4 grasses) of WCR and NCR larvae. A robust resistance management plan for corn rootworms is predicated upon knowledge in these and other areas. Data generated will be made available to all stakeholders including modelers actively working on rootworm resistance management, the seed industry, and regulatory agencies such as the EPA, and may serve as a basis for further studies aimed at determining the original host(s) of today's most important pests of corn.

Approach:
The objectives of the current proposal are to 1) Evaluate western corn rootworm (WCR) larval movement under "normal" field infestations, 2) Determine WCR larval establishment and development on susceptible and transgenic corn, 3) Evaluate alternate hosts for their potential importance in the WCR and northern corn rootworm (NCR) life cycle, and 4) Evaluate stable carbon isotopes as a tool to determine host use (C3 vs. C4 grasses) of WCR and NCR larvae. The approach for Objective 1 is to use a background infestation of a "normal" WCR strain and add an insecticide resistant strain to differing levels of the background strain at differing times. The approach for Objective 2 is infest transgenic and isoline strains over time and determine larval recovery, adult emergence, and damage from each infestation of each strain. Objective 3 will have a series of approaches aimed at a better understanding of the role of alternate hosts in the WCR and NCR life cycle. The approach for Objective 4 will make use fo the fact that plants possessing the C4 photosynthetic pathway are very different than C3 plants in a number of traits including the ratio of stable carbon isotopes incorporated.

Project Team

Hibbard, Bruce

Project Annual Reports

FY 2003

Related National Programs

Crop Protection & Quarantine (304)