4/12/2024
Field Performance of Vorceed® Enlist® Corn Rootworm Traits: 2020-2023
Agronomy Research Update
From Pioneer Research & Development and Agronomy Sciences - Written by Jim Bing, Program Leader, Insect Control Traits; Tim Nowatzki, Senior Research Scientist; Tim Mabry, Field Scientist; Jeff Klever, Research Investigator; and Mark Jeschke, Ph.D., Pioneer Agronomy Manager
Key Findings
- The corn rootworm traits in Qrome® corn and Vorceed® Enlist® corn both provided effective control of corn rootworm larval feeding.
- The Vorceed Enlist traits had significantly lower corn rootworm feeding damage compared to the Qrome traits.
- Both corn rootworm trait products provided a significant improvement in yield compared to the negative control under corn rootworm pressure.
A New Corn Rootworm Management Tool
- Western and northern corn rootworms have a history of adapting to and overcoming control practices, which has increased the complexity and difficulty of successfully managing these pests.
- Field-evolved resistance in western corn rootworm has now been documented for all four Bt traits for corn rootworm protection currently on the market.
- Ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) technology has been commercialized to provide an additional unique mode of action for protection against corn rootworm and is available in Corteva Agriscience seed brands in Vorceed® Enlist® corn.
Figure 1. Corn rootworm protection modes of action in Qrome corn (dual-mode Bt) and Vorceed Enlist corn (Dual-mode Bt + RNAi). Click here or on the image above for a larger view.
Study Description
- Field experiments were conducted in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 to evaluate efficacy of the corn rootworm traits in Qrome corn and Vorceed Enlist corn for reducing root feeding and protecting corn yield.
- The field experiments were conducted at locations with a history of continuous corn production or locations where a trap crop was used to boost corn rootworm pressure.
- A total of four different hybrid families were used across the research locations, representing 108 and 113 CRM groups.
- Three different combinations of corn rootworm traits and insecticide seed treatments were compared in the study (Table 1). The experiments used the major components of Qrome corn and Vorceed Enlist corn without the integrated refuge component.
Table 1. Corn rootworm treatments compared in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 field experiments.
Video: Managing In-Season CRW Populations
Results
- A total of 33 research locations over the four years of the study experienced moderate to high levels of corn rootworm feeding pressure.
- Both corn rootworm protection treatments were effective at reducing corn rootworm feeding relative to the unprotected check as measured by corn rootworm node injury score (CRWNIS) (Figure 2).
- Corn with the Vorceed Enlist corn rootworm traits (dual-mode Bt + RNAi) had significantly lower CRWNIS than the Qrome corn rootworm traits (dual-mode Bt) + 1250 IST.
- Both corn rootworm protection treatments had an average estimated CRWNIS score less than 0.50.
Figure 2. Corn rootworm node injury scores across 33 moderate and high-pressure locations. Bars with the same letter are not significantly different at α = 0.05.
- For corn with the Vorceed® Enlist® corn rootworm traits, 85% of sampled roots had a CRWNIS of less than 0.50, compared to 69% of roots for corn with Qrome® corn rootworm traits + 1250 IST and 12% for the unprotected check (Figure 3).
- Both corn rootworm protection treatments provided significant improvement to yield compared to the unprotected check under moderate to high corn rootworm pressure (Figure 5).
Figure 3. Percentage of sampled corn roots with CRWNIS of less than 0.50 across 33 moderate to high pressure locations.
Figure 4. The corn rootworm node injury score (CRWNIS) rating system ranges from 0 to 3 based on the number of roots pruned by corn rootworm feeding to within 1.5 inches of the crown. A maximum score of 3.0 corresponds to 3 full nodes of roots pruned.
- Corn with the Vorceed Enlist corn rootworm traits had significantly higher yield than corn with the Qrome corn rootworm traits + 1250 IST (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Corn yield across 32 moderate and high-pressure locations. Bars with the same letter are not significantly different at α = 0.05.
Agrisure® is a registered trademark of, and used under license from, a Syngenta Group Company. Agrisure® technology incorporated into these seeds is commercialized under a license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG. Liberty®, LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are registered trademarks of BASF. ®Roundup and Roundup Ready are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. Enlist One® and Enlist Duo® are not labeled for use in all 50 states. To find product labels, state registration status, and additional resources about the Enlist® weed control system and its availability, visit Enlist.com. Additional stewardship information on Enlist crops and to review seed product use guide details, visit traitstewardship.com.
The foregoing is provided for informational use only. Please contact your Pioneer sales professional for information and suggestions specific to your operation. 2020-2023 data are based on average of all comparisons made in 33 locations through Dec 1, 2023. Multi-year and multi-location is a better predictor of future performance. Do not use these or any other data from a limited number of trials as a significant factor in product selection. Product responses are variable and subject to a variety of environmental, disease, and pest pressures. Individual results may vary.