Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting: Thursday, January 31, 2008 Chair Joe Spencer called the meeting to order at 8:08 am. Introductions of participants: J. Spencer, C. Krupke, B. Hibbard, B. Fuller, F. Meloche, B. Eisley, R. Hammond, L. Meihls, L. Meinke, P. Mitchell, T. Sappington, W. French, B. McManus, B. Nowierski, P. Porter, L. Bledsoe, D. Onstad, E. Shields, C. Difonzo, J. Smith, T. Baute, A. Ahmad, A. Gassmann, K. Ostlie Local arrangements  Bruce Hibbard: Registration fees will be $25 per day for a maximum total of $75. Approval of minutes: 2007 minutes were approved after a Motion was submitted by B. Fuller and seconded by W. French. Succession of Officers: Since vice chair Christian Krupke is taking a job at the University of Guelph and will not be serving on the committee in the future, E. Shields was moved to chair for 2009. Ken Ostlie was elected as vice chair for 2009 and Ron Hammond was elected as secretary for 2009. 2009 NCCC-46 meeting: The 2009 meeting will be held in joint with the NC-205 group in Minneapolis-St Paul during the week of 1/26/09. David Andow has volunteered to be in charge of local arrangements. NCCC-46 will meet on Monday 1/26/09 starting at 1 pm and continue through Tuesday 1/27/09. The joint overlap session will begin at 8 am on Wednesday 1/28/09 and continue throughout the day. The meeting format of the overlap session will continue to include industry participation. Key individuals from industry will be invited to participate in the joint program. International Corn Rootworm Symposium: Mike Gray, the current Entomological Society of America (ESA) president, is planning to organize an International Corn Rootworm Symposium in coordination with the ESA Annual Meeting in Reno next fall. The symposium is being planned around the ESA meeting theme of Metamorphosis and Change. Mike hopes to arrange for a live video feed into Europe and live interactions with European scientists who work with rootworm. Members of NCCC-46 expressed a high level of interest in participating in the symposium. Old Business: Management guide: Money made available through Joe Spencer for the management guide has to be spent by June 14, 2008. It was suggested that the money be spent on publications graphics, layout and preparation charges. Ken Ostlie mentioned that the Minnesota AES director has offered to bank roll the publication at no cost. After the web version is up and running, paper version sales are expected to be a minor amount. It was suggested that money from sales of the paper version needs to be directed to web development of the management guide. The guide needs to be finished in the next 4 months and authors will get one more chance to update their sections. Distribution maps and good photographs are needed for the guide. Distribution maps of Western corn rootworm soybean variant and Northern corn rootworm extended diapause is needed for the guide. Deficient areas in the management guide: 1) thresholds are 15-20 years old. 2) quoted yields are too low and old for current agriculture. 3) Poor connection between beetle numbers and damage continues to be a disconnection between scouting and treatment decisions. State Reports: Distribution, abundance, species composition: Ohio: The soybean variant showed up for the first time as damage in 1 st year corn in 2007. Populations of adults are now being found in soybeans. The infested region is now a 3-county area and the variant is moving further into the interior of the state. The variant entered the state from Indiana several years ago, but only started to be a problem in first year corn in 2007. The infested counties are still located north of I-70. Eastern Indiana : In 2007, heat unit accumulations were much higher than normal, with an extra month of heat units accumulated by the end of the growing season. The increased heat unit accumulation was responsible for earlier emergence of corn rootworm and maturity of the corn crop. Additional heat unit accumulation was also noted in Minnesota. Ontario: An increased number of adult Western corn rootworm adults were collected on traps located in soybean fields located in southern and western Ontario. No corn rootworm problems were reported in first year corn in 2007. Wisconsin: Southern Wisconsin is just starting to report a few Western corn rootworm beetles in soybean fields. However, the populations are not nearly the magnitude reported further east. It appears that most of the variant beetles are moving east rather than north. Michigan: The variant appears to be spreading northeast in Michigan, but not in a contiguous fashion. Instead, there appear to be variant patches surrounding by non-variant areas. Anecdotal reports from Ohio report a similar phenomenon at the front of variant distribution, with isolated areas of damage in rotated corn surrounded by areas without damage. Historical spread of Western corn rootworm: Tom Sappington presented information documenting the spread of Western corn rootworm across the US. It appears that WCR started to spread in the 1940s from the western edge of Nebraska along the Colorado border. The initiation of spread eastward seems to be tied to continuous corn grown under irrigation with the use of soil insecticides. According to the information, WCR moved across the Midwest in the 60s and 70s and reached the eastern seaboard by 1990. During the spread, disjunct pioneer populations were often detected far ahead of the main front, similar to what is being seen now with the spreading rotation-resistant variant and along the spreading front in Europe. European Introduction: It appears that Western corn rootworm was introduced into Europe during at least 5 different introduction events. It also appears that WCR is being introduced on continuous basis. Behavior and Ecology: Illinois: Joe Spencer reported that WCR oviposition in non-corn habitats remains a large problem within the variant area. Calling the variant the soybean variant is a misnomer since the variant lays eggs everywhere rather than just in soybeans. In contrast, the corn variant lays eggs only in corn. Iowa: A survey was conducted in Iowa for the variant WCR by establishing a North-South transect of sticky cards in soybean fields in the eastern third of the state. The sticky cards were changed weekly. A few adults were collected on the sticky cards but no first year damage was noted. A proposal has been submitted to expand the trapping network in 2008 to include both a North-South transect and an East-West transect. The network would include both sticky cards and egg traps. Collected data would be used to create adult distribution maps in soybeans and emergence of adults in first year corn fields. Kansas: Very low populations of WCR were observed in Kansas in 2007. Very high rainfall in June and July during the early larval stages may have had a significant impact on the populations. Data was presented on refuge movement/dispersal. Movement within and between treatments were monitored using yellow PVC pipes treated with a sticky coating to trap the beetles. Minnesota: Significant CRW oviposition has been observed around Roundup Ready volunteer corn in Roundup Ready soybean fields. Both NCR and WCR adults have been observed. Failure of farmers to eliminate volunteer corn from their soybean fields has both IPM and IRM implications. Indiana: It was suggested that we should be concerned about volunteer BT corn in soybean fields. Most of the volunteer plants (87%) were Roundup resistant and difficult to control in Roundup Resistant soybean fields and 64% of the plants has the BT gene present. The BT positive plants also suffered significant larval damage therefore the assumption was that the BT dose in the plant was low. This situation has significant implications with regards to the potential development of resistance and resistance management. Wisconsin: The current high corn prices present difficulties with the implementation of IPM with CRW management. High corn prices reduce the EIL to a level, where it is difficult to discern between the adults CRW ovipositing in the field and the adult CRW which are transient and just passing through. Nebraska: Increasing levels of NCR are being observed in Northeastern Nebraska. The increased population is suggested to be a result of increased egg survival due to recent warmer than normal winters and the increasing presence of extended diapause. Extended diapause was documented in Northeastern Nebraska in 2004-2007. Economic losses from NCR in first year corn have not been reported to be a problem currently. A few WCR emerge from first year corn but these individuals are thought to be a representation of natural egg-laying variation (a few individuals scatter their eggs away from corn) or extended diapause in WCR. South Dakota: The abundance of volunteer corn in soybean fields attract WCR adults and trigger oviposition around the volunteer corn plants. It is believed this is the source of the damage in first year corn rather than extended diapause or the presence of the soybean variant in South Dakota. Dispersal and Flight Behavior: Indiana: Research focus has been on the flight behavior of males from refuges to calling females within the BT fields. Key questions include the distances between the refuge and the BT fields and the differential timing of emergence between the refuge and the BT fields. Data suggests that mating is not random but the heavier females are selected more often by males and the heavier females are mated more often. On average, females mate only once while males mate an average of 2.5 times. Most male mating occurs before 10 days of age. After 10 days of age, male mating is rare. Most male mating occurs during a 3-4 day window within the 10 day age window. A key IRM question is How far will males disperse from the refuges during the relative small window where mating occurs? Illinois: Research is continued to be focused on the movement of WCR beetles between corn and soybean fields. Female movement at the interface between the two crops shows significant difference in areas with and without the rotation-resistant (soybean) variant. In areas of Illinois where the rotation-resistant variant is not known to be present, 0.7%-3% of the females had soybean tissue present in their gut when trapped at the soybean-corn interface. In contrast, in areas where the rotation-resistant variant is known to be present, between 7% and 11% of the females trapped at the soybean-corn interface had soybean tissue present in their gut. It was suggested that this data could be used as a statewide screening tool to identify areas where the rotation-resistant variant was present or absent. Host Searching Behavior: Missouri: Feeding behavior, host searching behavior and host recognition cues will continue to be a major focus of research. A new effort will be launched with the addition of E. Bernklau to identify the chemical cues used by CRW to locate suitable roots and begin feeding on those roots. Mating Behavior: Illinois: Questions were raised about movement of beetles in and out of the refuge. Do males enter transgenic corn? Do females move out of the refuge? Do refuges really work? Illinois data suggests the following. 1) Males in the refuge emerge early and mate with females in the refuge. 2) Males move out of the refuge into nearby transgenic corn. Due to the relatively small window for mating by the males (10 days), too few males are available in the refuge who are capable of mating with females in the refuge and therefore the females move out of the refuge into nearby transgenic corn to mate with males in the transgenic field. Emergence of males in the transgenic field tend to lag behind the emergence of males in the refuge and this lag encourages the refuge females to leave the refuge unmated and seek out newly emerged males in the transgenic field. South Dakota: With NCR, mating studies were conducted, comparing size advantage of both sexes to mating success. Large females mate more often, but most females mate only once. Large males are more competitive and are more successful in mating. Rearing: South Dakota: USDA is continuing to rear multiple colonies with varying genetic backgrounds. Current BT resistant lines have developed about a 4 to 5 fold resistance level. Fitness parameters and genetic traits of the resistant lines are being characterized. There is currently a joint project with EPA to develop resistant lines to CRY 1Bb toxin. Extended Diapause: Minnesota: A change of the survey protocol by the Department of Agriculture for extended diapause has caused a few problems. The new protocol is sufficiently different that data from the old survey protocol cannot be compared to data collected under the new protocol. Iowa: The numbers of NCR adults collected in emergence traps are increasing in eastern Iowa. This data suggests that extended diapause in NCR is becoming a bigger issue in eastern Iowa. Nebraska: Since 2003, a large number of NCR adults have been observed emerging from 1st year corn in eastern NE. Field studies conducted between 2004 and 2007 showed the presence of 3-year extended diapause along with 2 year extended diapause. Data from Nebraska suggests that a different pattern of extended diapause is present in Mead, Nebraska compared to Pipestone, Minnesota. A 2006-2007 survey documented the variability and intensity of adult NCR emergence from first-year corn in eastern NE. South Dakota: Studies are underway to characterize the inheritance of the extended diapause trait. Cooperative research has been initiated with Tom Sappington to identify potential genetic markers. Host Interactions (corn vs alternate host): Missouri: Research identifying potential NCR wild larval host has indicated that Western wheat grass and slender wheatgrass are a better larval host for NCR than maize. Larger number of larvae survived on these grass species than maize and more adults emerged. Several other species also showed good larval survival similar to maize. However, NCR has a narrower alternate host range than WCR in a greenhouse pot study. A study has also been completed looking at the food value of dying roots of maize and the alternate host Setaria fabert. Plants were killed with roundup or severing the growing tip of maize. After 5-days, the dying roots become unsuitable as a food source. Diabrotica Genetics: An ESA symposium on corn rootworm genetics was held at the last ESA annual meeting in San Diego.. The speaker list and topics were as follows: Genetic markers Tom Sapppington: Marker development Nick Miller: Reconstructing routes of invasion Peter Pauls: Genetic marker for the variant Genetics of insecticide activity and resistance: Blair Siegfried: Potential sites of the mid gut Ken Oswald: Linkage mapping of BT resistance BT resistance evolution: Tim Nowatzki: Lab selection of CRY 34/35ab1 BT resistance Lisa Meihls: Lab selection of CRY 3Bb1 and CRY 3Aa BT resistance. Lance Meinke: Fitness of surviving WCR adults. Wolbachia: Georgia Davis: Maize response to infected WCR feeding. Rosanna Giordano: Using mtDNA & Wolbachia for rootworm phylogeography. Rich Roehrdanz: Role in NCR reproductive isolation Tom Sappington gave a short presentation about the common type of genetic markers (Microsatellites, ALFPs, SNPs) and their uses. The goal is to develop a set of core markers or universal panel which allows direct comparison between labs and genotype data. A set of criteria was developed and a total of 6 markers met all of the criteria for inclusion. It was suggested that these 6 markers should be used by all labs in future population genetics studies, in addition to whatever other markers might be used. Other: Illinois: It was reported that in field collections, melanic females are 1.19 % of the population and melanic males are 1.3 % of the population. Management: Minnesota: The range expansion of extended diapause coupled with the projected increase of corn prices for the next few years is providing new NCR management challenges. Ken Ostlie tossed out the following question: If IRM is broken and IPM is on life support, how do we know how to recognize when we have resistance? A discussion followed with no conclusion. Resistance/Toxicology: Missouri: Work is progressing in the lab and field testing of resistance levels and the durability of the resistance in both the lab and field. Colonies are being developed to express 3-different levels of resistance. Currently, after 6 generations of constant exposure, a 17-38 fold level of resistance is being expressed. Individuals are also being tested for fitness. What is a good measure of fitness? Will one of the classical parameters work best (size, mating success, fecundity) or will a less traditional parameter be a better indicator (disease/parasite challenge)? Implementation: Michigan: A study was conducting at two locations, looking at the effects of the refuge structure on adult emergence dynamics. The treatments were a 10% and 20% block, a 10% and 20% strip, a 10% and 20% refuge in a bag and a 100% refuge. The emergence of transgenic males, transgenic females, refuge males and refuge females was recorded. Different refuge strategies impacted the pattern of adult emergence. It was interesting to note that the refuge in a bag emergence curve tracks the emergence curve of the refuge. A discussion followed about the tradeoffs between larval movements between transgenic and non transgenic plants giving increased selection vs impact on adult mixing at mating with blocks or strips due to physical separation Refuge/IRM Compliance: Canada (Ontario): Grower compliance was disappointing. New corn growers seemed unaware of the refuge requirements while traditional corn growers have a higher level of compliance. A discussion followed about compliance in the different areas. Minnesota survey results indicated compliance is in the range of 60-70 percent. Indiana compliance was felt to be in the 60 percent range . West Texas in Pat Porters area was planted to 80+% BT corn when the requirement was 50% refuge. Illinois: Joe Spencer feels that the compliance is lower than reported. Nebraska: Compliance is felt to be much lower than required. IRM vs IPM: Billy Fuller: The crisis has not occurred to encourage continued use of IPM. When the crisis occurs, farmers will come for the answers and new crisis solving strategies. With the low level of IRM enforcement, what is the cost of breaking compliance rules? Economic Threshold: Minnesota: At this point in time, Ken Ostlie feels that we have no valid economic threshold data to work with, due to increasing yield, changing technology, increasing beetle numbers. The issue of economic thresholds needs to be reexamined. Are thresholds for insecticides still appropriate for the new technologies and yields? A discussion followed: Billy Fuller: It seems that the large number of adults emerging from a single resistant plants do not reflect the expected root damage and resultant yields. Joe Spencer: Above ground symptoms of the damaged plants do not reflect the level of root damage. Ken Ostlie: Difference in root mass seem to be variety related. Plant population also impacts the root mass. In addition, soil moisture has also a big impact. Root regeneration is yield related and may or may not have a positive yield impact. Triple stack affects the overall plant health because of root protection. Increased nitrogen uptake in the triple stack may be from the root protection. Discussion followed about the role of seed treatments on the plant. Seed treatments will have damaged roots, but the root damage is not reflected in a equal yield loss. Under high pressure, we do not have the tools to protect the refuges and protect the farmers from yield losses in the refuges. What can we do to reduce the overall CRW area pressure to allow all of the technologies to work better. Nebraska: Soil insecticides and seed treatments have not always held up under the very high pressures. Furadan has been used as a rescue treatment in these situations, but it looks like the EPA is going to deny re-registration of Furadan in corn. We are losing tools in our insect control tool box. Technology is moving too fast to be proactive, we are in the reactive mode and we have to work with the consequences. Research is currently more defensive or reactive than proactive. EPA and industry has isolated this group from the decision making process. What can we do to make this committee more relevant to the process? How can we raise awareness to the issues? Do we want to prepare a white paper? What is the real issue? Do we want to submit a forum paper for a Nature Biotechnology paper or a JEE paper to draw attention to the issue about transgenic issues. Also cover exclusions from the process. What do we need to do for the public benefit? Ken Ostlie: Where we are in transgenic adoption, resistance management, and biological impact arena? Industry controls the seed supply therefore controls research and scientific objectivity. Even commercially available seed lines are prohibited from use in scientific investigations by the technology agreement which is required to be signed before the seed is delivered. The greatest impact is on scientific objectivity and impacts our charge as scientist employed within our Agricultural Experiment Stations. What role can ESA play to support this effort? Wide interest was present across the committee to pursue the issue of a paper/journal article with an outline. Ideas will be circulated. Joe Spencer and Tom Sappington will head the effort and circulate the ideas and outline. Attempts will be made to include as many NCCC-46 participants as possible as authors, although it is understood several may not be able to participate or include their names for various reasons. There was discussion about whether to include other groups like NC-205 and the cotton research community, but no conclusion was reached. This issue will be revisited once the initial outline is prepared. Root Rating Injury Scale: A discussion was conducted on the issue of the 1.5 inch criteria for damage assessment with the Iowa 0-3 scale. The question was raised if the 1.5 inch limitation of damage really covered the impact of the feeding damage on the outer root system. Ken Ostlie suggested that the 1.5 inch evaluation was a better predictor of lodging than the 3 damage evaluation but may not be applicable to yield impacts. Host Plant Resistance: Missouri: A new variety has been released with a high level of resistance to CRW larval feeding. Parentage is a combination from a lot of tropical sources. A polygenic source of resistance and mode of action is suggested. In addition, there is a possible new source of germplasm from the Colorado corn breeding program. Resistance to insecticides: Indiana: The level of CRW control with Force soil insecticide appears to be more erratic in Indiana then in past years. The question is why the increased erratic level of control? Nebraska: Adult control programs using aerial spraying are still occurring in far western Nebraska, eastern Colorado and western Kansas. Blair Siegfried still has an active IRM research program. He is currently looking at the mechanisms of resistance to Organochlorines and Organophosphates, in addition to his BT resistance work. Blairs lab group is identifying molecular markers to identify resistance genes. Blair may also be looking for cooperators to collect beetles from specified geographic locations for his research. He is also interested in using resistance associated molecular markers to possibly help identify sources of WCR that were introduced into Europe. Trap cropping: Illinois: A project was initiated in 2007 to look at the concept of trap cropping as a way to improve the management of CRW. In the concept of Trap then manage the rootworm, if the eggs could be concentrated into a smaller area of the field, then the use of transgenic corn could be concentrated into smaller areas. The rows of corn used as a trap crop was planted in a soybean field. Not surprising, the 2007 information showed the CRW adults concentrating in the corn strips. Joe Spencer is looking for a Ph.D student to work on this study. Information will be forthcoming in the near future. Indiana: A trap cropping project was also initiated in Indiana using a runty mutant corn selection which is very attractive to CRW adults. The adults really hammer it with feeding damage. The corn breeder at Purdue is looking for possible cooperators. Rotation: Minnesota: A long-term rotational study has been initiated using a 5-year rotation cycle. The focus of the study is to look at the rotational effect and the benefit from triple-stack vs. the double stack as subplots within the rotation blocks. This study is being conducted in an area with NCR and extended diapause. Other soil insect issues: Ontario, Canada: Increasing damage being reported in Ontario from millipedes for the past several years across a number of crops. Researchers are currently looking for funding to evaluate the impact of millipedes on corn. Final Business meetings: Ron Hammond was nominated for Secretary and Ken Ostlie was nominated for vice chair. The members of the project elected these two individuals with a unanimous vote. The 2009 meeting will be held in joint with the NC-205 group in Minneapolis-St Paul during the week of 1/26/09. David Andow has volunteered to be in charge of local arrangements. NCCC-46 will meet on Monday 1/26/09 starting at 1 pm and continue through Tuesday 1/27/09. The joint overlap session will begin at 8 am on Wednesday 1/28/09 and continue throughout the day. The meeting format of the overlap session will continue to include industry participation. Key individuals from industry will be invited to participate in the joint program. Start time for NCCC-46 will be 1 pm on Monday 1/26/09 unless other issues suggest an early meeting session on a specialized subject. Dennis Calvin is the current chair of NC-205 for the next year in 2009 meeting. Question to the committee membership: Do we want to think about a publication about joint refuge issues between ECB and CRW? Management Guide: There will be a final push toward publication. Editorial changes need to be made, pictures collected and graphics developed. There will then be one final opportunity for NCCC-46 members to comment on the publication before it goes to press. The insecticide section is missing. The insecticide section will be edited by the writing committee before the final draft is moved to layout. Impact statements are needed from the membership for the minutes. Please submit them to E. Shields. Meeting was adjourned at 11:56 am on February 1, 2008.