The American Seed Trade Association’s 2015 CSS & Seed Expo closes tomorrow with a session on crop management, moderated by University of Illinois crop sciences researcher Emerson Nafziger. Begins at 8 a.m. in Grand Ballroom A/B.
Integrated management of sudden death syndrome for soybean will be discussed by Daren Mueller of Iowa State University. Sudden death syndrome (SDS) has emerged as one of the top soybean diseases across the U.S. Midwest and Canada, resulting in yield loss and frustration for farmers. Use of resistant cultivars is the best management option for SDS, but other management options may complement resistance. This talk will highlight research completed over the past several years focusing on these complementary options such as seed treatments, planting date, glyphosate application, tillage and crop rotation.
Soybean weed resistance will be covered by Larry Steckel of the University of Tennessee. There are six confirmed glyphosate-resistant weeds in Tennessee. However, not all these weeds are created equal. Horseweed (marestail) and Palmer amaranth (pigweed) are now an issue on virtually every row crop acre in Tennessee. Horseweed was the first of these to show glyphosate resistance in 2001. It has a windblown seed and in just a few years had spread to 95% of the row crop area of the state. Just four years later Palmer amaranth was confirmed to be resistant to glyphosate and has in that short time become the biggest weed problem in the state. This presentation will illuminate ways that we can look towards new technologies to help alleviate some of this selection pressure on glufosinate in the future.
Corn root worm management will then be discussed by Nicholas Tinsley of the University of Illinois. This presentation will include an update on the ongoing development of western corn rootworm resistance to some Bt proteins (Cry3Bb1 and mCry3A) expressed in some transgenic hybrids. Resistance management recommendations for this insect pest also will be presented. A future outlook will be offered concerning tactics and strategies on the horizon for the management of western corn rootworms.
