Bee, Corn Earworm, Fire Ant and Educating Growers and Consultants Projects
Title: Bee Project: Assessing the Impact of Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments on Pollinators
Investigator: Gus Lorenz
Based on data collected from this project, the following statements can be made:
- Neonicotinoids are present during crop production from soil residue
- Movement of neonicotinoids does occur at planting and there is some contamination on wild flowers
- Soybean flowers, cotton pollen and nectar are basically free of neonicotinoids
- Therefore, concerns of seed treatments causing neonicotinoid contamination in bees is unfounded
Title: Developing a New Threshold for Corn Earworm, Helicoverpa Zea
Investigators: Gus Lorenz, Glenn Studebaker
A significant relationship between pod damage and yield was observed:
- Based on the regression equation, for every corn earworm damaged pod, yield was reduced by 0.04 bu/ac.
A significant relationship between larval density and yield was also observed:
- Based on the regression equation, for every corn earworm larvae present per 2.5 row feet, yield was reduced by 1.3 bu/ac.
Title: Fire Ant Control in Soybean
Investigators: Gus Lorenz and Kelly Loftin
This project was conducted to determine the impact of fire ants in the soybean agroecosystem.
Title: Educating Growers and Consultants on Insect Monitoring and Control
Investigator: Gus Lorenz
Planned Milestones:
- Put the sampling tools needed in the hands of our growers and other decision-makers to promote effective and economical control of insects.
- Educate our clientele on the proper management techniques for insect control and increase awareness of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- To document these milestones we would like to conduct a survey of growers to monitor, increased awareness of soybean insect management, what growers are spending on insect control, how decisions to control insects are made and increased adoption of IPM in soybean production in Arkansas.