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Farmers’ Perspectives On Resistance In Western Corn Rootworm To Crw-Bt Corn In Midwest Usa, David A. Andow, Robert Wright, Erin W. Hodgson, Thomas E. Hunt, Ken Ostlie

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Resistance in western corn rootworm to transgenic corn hybrids was first confirmed in 2011 in Midwestern USA, and threatens their continued use. Farmers are often the first line of resistance detection, so their understanding and attitudes toward this issue are critical for improving resistance management. We conducted telephone focus groups during 2013 with farmers who had experienced rootworm resistance. There were four stages in dealing with unexpected rootworm injury: Awareness of a problem, diagnosis, confirmation, and recommendations. Most farmers discovered the problem themselves, but this usually happened too late in the growing season to limit yield loss. Once aware of …