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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Aerial Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #359553
Research Project: Aerial Application Technology for Sustainable Crop Production

Location: Aerial Application Technology Research

Title: Western corn rootworm pyrethroid resistance confirmed by aerial application simulations of commercial insecticides

Author
item SOUZA, DARIANE - University Of Nebraska
item VIEIRA, BRUNO - University Of Nebraska
item Fritz, Bradley - Brad
item HOFFMANN, WESLEY - Former ARS Employee
item PETERSON, JULIE - University Of Nebraska
item KRUGER, GREG - University Of Nebraska
item MEINKE, LANCE - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/17/2019
Publication Date: 4/30/2019
Citation: Souza, D., Vieira, B., Fritz, B.K., Hoffmann, W.C., Peterson, J., Kruger, G., Meinke, L. 2019. Western corn rootworm pyrethroid resistance confirmed by aerial application simulations of commercial insecticides. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-43202-w.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-43202-w

Interpretive Summary: The western corn rootworm (WCR) is a major insect pest of corn in the United States and is highly adaptable to management tactics, with low level of field-evolved resistance to pyrethroid insecticides confirmed in the western Corn Belt. A novel simulated aerial application bioassay technique was developed to evaluate how this level of resistance would affect performance of registered rates of formulated products. Active ingredient bioassays revealed a low level of resistance to bifenthrin and dimethoate with the simulated aerial application technique confirming the pyrethroid resistance, but formulated dimethoate could provide optimal control. The results of this work provide guidance to applicators and crop managers in making management decisions to control WCR in regions where pyrethroid resistance is established.

Technical Abstract: The western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) (WCR) is a major insect pest of corn (Zea mays) in the United States and is highly adaptable to management tactics. A low level of field-evolved resistance by WCR to pyrethroid insecticides has been confirmed in the United States western Corn Belt through use of laboratory dose-response bioassays. Further investigation has identified detoxification enzymes as a potential part of the rootworm resistance mechanism, which could affect the performance of insecticides that are structurally related to pyrethroids, such as organophosphates. A novel simulated aerial application bioassay technique was developed to evaluate how this level of resistance would affect performance of registered rates of formulated product. In addition, WCR pyrethroid resistant and susceptible population response in formulated product and active ingredient bioassays of the commonly used pyrethroid bifenthrin and organophosphate dimethoate was compared. Active ingredient bioassays revealed a low level of resistance to bifenthrin and dimethoate. The simulated aerial application technique confirmed pyrethroid resistance to formulated rates of bifenthrin but formulated dimethoate provided optimal control. Results suggest that the relationship between levels of resistance observed in dose-response bioassays and actual efficacy of formulated product needs to be explored to understand the practical impact of resistance.