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University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
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Using Adults To Monitor Rnai Susceptibility Of Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera Leconte, Field Populations, Matthew Welter
Using Adults To Monitor Rnai Susceptibility Of Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera Leconte, Field Populations, Matthew Welter
Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is the most damaging corn pest in the U.S. Corn Belt, costing producers over $1 billion annually in control and damage costs. Currently, corn producers rely on three control strategies for WCR management: crop rotation, chemical insecticides, and transgenic corn expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) proteins. Populations of WCR have evolved resistance to all of these tactics, limiting effective control strategies for producers. RNA interference (RNAi), is the newest mode of action developed for WCR management. In July 2017, the first RNAi plant-incorporated protectant (PIP) corn product was approved for production …