Penn State Extension reminds corn growers who are replanting that the various genetic, insect-resistant traits and seed-applied treatments offered are not always necessary.

With more resistance to Bt corn occurring, Iowa State University Extension recommends growers develop a long-term integrated pest management approach for corn rootworm.

You are trying to manage your various risks in crop production, double checking weed and insect management plans.

Wayne Bailey, University of Missouri Extension specialist in plant sciences, urges Missouri corn producers to keep an eye out for indications of corn rootworm, caused by continuous planting of Bt hybrid corn on cropland.

Widespread planting of genetically modified Bt corn in the upper Midwest has significantly reduced losses from European corn borer damage. Even growers that don’t plant transgenic corn have benefitted from neighboring use of these products.

Properly handling the residue at harvest is key to preparing for the next crop.

The possibility that some Bt-containing corn hybrids have higher lignin content than their non-genetically modified counterparts represents an unintended effect with no known mechanism, says Michael Lehman of the USDA-ARS-North Central Agricultural Research Lab in Brookings, S.D.

Many no-tillers have been wondering when the refuge requirement for Bt corn hybrids might be reduced. With a reduced refuge, they’ve been calculating how much corn yields could be raised across their operations.