As farmers begin to plant this season, corn rootworm is already starting to put pressure on fields and yields. To help farmers better track and understand their corn rootworm pressure, which causes more than $1 billion in losses each year, Bayer, St. Louis, Missouri, is launching the ninth year of The Watch.
The Watch is a free program that helps farmers monitor corn rootworm pressure and build proactive steps to minimize damage next season through educational resources, tools and expert support. New to The Watch this year is an expanded beetle monitoring program, which will allow farmers to track and share corn rootworm data with Bayer.
“Each year, corn rootworm costs farmers across the United States more than $1 billion in losses. As farmers begin planting this year, pest pressure may already be starting — that’s why The Watch is so critical, so farmers can take data gleaned from sticky traps and develop proactive steps to combat corn rootworm in the future,” said Safeer Hassan, Bayer technical product lead for corn traits.
Hassan continued, “There’s no reliable in-season rescue treatment once larvae are feeding below ground or adult beetles are present, which is why proactive monitoring is so important. Our aim with The Watch is to raise awareness about corn rootworm and equip farmers with what they need to make those proactive decisions, guard their yield and fight back against this billion-dollar bug.”
How The Watch can help farmers
By signing up for The Watch, farmers will receive a Corn Rootworm Pressure Starter Kit, which includes four free sticky traps. When strategically placed in fields, sticky traps can give farmers a better picture of where the highest pressure exists and where to take action next season.
In addition to sticky traps, farmers will have access to educational resources on how to deploy and interpret sticky traps and information about corn rootworm and the threat it poses. Bayer experts also will be available to provide support for farmers who have questions beyond the available resources.
New this year with The Watch is an adult beetle monitoring program. By opting into the program, farmers will receive a larger monitoring kit for more advanced monitoring and will share data gleaned from sticky traps with Bayer. The data presents an educational opportunity to help inform pest pressure alerts and future planning for farmers across the country.
Farmers can sign up for The Watch now. July 7 is the deadline to request a free Corn Rootworm Pressure Starter Kit.
The Crop Science division of Bayer offers corn trait solutions to help manage corn rootworm. SmartStax PRO with RNAi Technology is designed for high-pressure environments, delivering more than double the root protection compared to competitor products in medium- to very high-corn rootworm pressure environments. For farmers facing low to moderate corn rootworm pressure or additional threats like corn earworm or western bean cutworm, VT4PRO with RNAi Technology provides another option.
For more information, contact a representative or visit www.bayer.com.
