Value of Neonicotinoid Insecticide Seed Treatments in Mid-South Corn (Zea mays) Production Systems

North, John H.; Gore, Jeffrey; Catchot, Angus L.; Stewart, Scott; Lorenz, G. M.; Musser, Fred R.; Cook, Donald R; Kerns, David L.; Leonard, B. R.; Dodds, Darrin M.

doi:10.1093/jee/tox278

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The product cost (i.e., no application cost) of Cruiser 5FS on corn was $31.10 ⋅ ha −1 ; however, using industry-provided data ( 53 ), the inflation-adjusted cost of an NST at the rate applied in this study was $57.79 ⋅ ha −1 . Using this cost calculation and the range of field sizes, the use of an NST in CM corn represented a cost of $330.93 ± 30.93 ⋅ field −1 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

IPM reduces insecticide applications by 95% while maintaining or enhancing crop yields through wild pollinator conservation

Pecenka

Ingwell

Foster

et al. 2021

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Pest management practices in modern industrial agriculture have increasingly relied on insurance-based insecticides such as seed treatments that are poorly correlated with pest density or crop damage. This approach, combined with high invertebrate toxicity for newer products like neonicotinoids, makes it challenging to conserve beneficial insects and the services that they provide. We used a 4-y experiment using commercial-scale fields replicated across multiple sites in the midwestern United States to evaluate the consequences of adopting integrated pest management (IPM) using pest thresholds compared with standard conventional management (CM). To do so, we employed a systems approach that integrated coproduction of a regionally dominant row crop (corn) with a pollinator-dependent specialty crop (watermelon). Pest populations, pollination rates, crop yields, and system profitability were measured. Despite higher pest densities and/or damage in both crops, IPM-managed pests rarely reached economic thresholds, resulting in 95% lower insecticide use (97 versus 4 treatments in CM and IPM, respectively, across all sites, crops, and years). In IPM corn, the absence of a neonicotinoid seed treatment had no impact on yields, whereas IPM watermelon experienced a 129% increase in flower visitation rate by pollinators, resulting in 26% higher yields. The pollinator-enhancement effect under IPM management was mediated entirely by wild bees; foraging by managed honey bees was unaffected by treatments and, overall, did not correlate with crop yield. This proof-of-concept experiment mimicking on-farm practices illustrates that cropping systems in major agricultural commodities can be redesigned via IPM to exploit ecosystem services without compromising, and in some cases increasing, yields.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

IPM reduces insecticide applications by 95% while maintaining or enhancing crop yields through wild pollinator conservation

Pecenka

Ingwell

Foster

et al. 2021

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…In corn, a meta-analysis combining 15 years of U.S. data revealed that even at the highest dose used against corn rootworm, there was no significant benefit of using seed treated corn [30]. However, North et al [59] found the opposite results in an analysis of 91 trials on 14 years in mid-south USA, with global yield gain of 700 kg/ha in corn treated with neonicotinoids. Such a high level of variability between studies could be explained by climatic conditions, which varied between sites and years, by the abundance of pest species and by the efficiency of the insecticides.…”

Section: Effects Of Neonicotinoids On Corn and Soybean Yieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In corn, some studies have examined yield differences between treated and untreated seeds [30,53,57,58,59,60,61]; however, the results are inconsistent, with a recent meta-analysis covering 15 years of high dose of neonicotinoids applied to control western and northern corn rootworm in Indiana demonstrating no yield differences [30], while another study spanning 14 years and 91 trials in the southern part of the USA showed a 700 kg/ha higher yield in treated corn [59]. In the northeastern part of Canada, which has different climatic conditions and agronomic practices, no studies have been done to evaluate soil-borne insect pest pressure or the impact of using insecticide seed treatments in corn and soybean.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of neonicotinoid seed treatments on soil-dwelling pest populations and agronomic parameters in corn and soybean in Quebec (Canada)

et al. 2020

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Agricultural soil pests, including wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae), are managed primarily with pesticides applied directly to seeds before sowing. Seeds coated with neonicotinoids have been used widely in Quebec (Canada) for several years. To assess the agronomic and economic value of neonicotinoid seed treatments in soybeans and corn in Quebec, trials were conducted from 2012 to 2016 in 84 fields across seven regions in Quebec. We evaluated the effect of neonicotinoid seed treatments on soil pest densities, crop damage and yield. The results showed that 92.6% of corn fields and 69.0% of soybean fields had less than 1 wireworm per bait trap. However, no significant differences in plant stand or yield were observed between treated and untreated corn or soybeans during the study. This study shows that neonicotinoid seed treatments in field crops in Quebec are useful in less than 5% of cases, given the very low level of pest-associated pressure and damage, and that they should not be used prophylactically. Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies need to be developed for soil insect pests to offer effective alternative solutions to producers.

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“…It is striking, then, that a survey of the literature reveals no convincing or consistent demonstrations of economic benefits associated with neonicotinoid use in grain and oilseed crops. Small-plot field studies throughout North America (Seagraves and Lundgren, 2012;Bredeson and Lundgren, 2015;Krupke et al, 2017a,b;North et al, 2018), meta-analyses of trials in soybeans over multiple U.S. states (Mourtzinis et al, 2019), and multi-year larger scale trials conducted across dozens of commercial corn and soybean fields (Labrie et al, 2020;Smith et al, 2020) have all failed to detect clear or consistent economic benefits attributable to this widespread approach to pest management. Indeed, detailed surveys of pest infestations over several years in intensive corn and soybean producing area of Quebec and Ontario, Canada found that neonicotinoids had potential to protect yield in <5-8% of cases (Labrie et al, 2020;Smith et al, 2020).…”

Section: Realized Potential Of Neonicotinoid-treated Seeds For Pest Mmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond the Headlines: The Influence of Insurance Pest Management on an Unseen, Silent Entomological Majority

Krupke¹,

Tooker

2020

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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For most of the last two decades, insect pest management in key grain and oilseed crops has relied heavily on an insurance-based approach. This approach mandates a suite of management tactics prior to planting and in the absence of pest data. Because there is little flexibility for using these tactics individually, most producers have adopted this full suite of practices despite mounting evidence that some components do not provide consistent benefits. In North America in particular, this preventive approach to insect pest management has led to steep increases in use of neonicotinoid insecticides and subsequent increases in neonicotinoids in soil and water within crop fields and beyond. These increases have been accompanied by a host of non-target effects that have been most clearly studied in pollinators and insect natural enemies. Less attention has been given to the effects of this practice upon the many thousands of aquatic insect species that are often cryptic and offer negligible, or undefined, clear benefits to humans and their commerce. A survey of the literature reveals that the non-target effects of neonicotinoids upon these aquatic species are often as serious as for terrestrial species, and more difficult to address. By focusing upon charismatic insect species that provide clearly defined services, we are likely dramatically under-estimating the effects of neonicotinoids upon the wider environment. Given the mounting evidence base demonstrating that the pest management and crop yield benefits of this approach are negligible, we advocate for a return to largely-abandoned IPM principles as a readily accessible alternative path.

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Value of Neonicotinoid Insecticide Seed Treatments in Mid-South Corn (Zea mays) Production Systems

Cited by 11 publications

References 16 publications

IPM reduces insecticide applications by 95% while maintaining or enhancing crop yields through wild pollinator conservation

IPM reduces insecticide applications by 95% while maintaining or enhancing crop yields through wild pollinator conservation

Impacts of neonicotinoid seed treatments on soil-dwelling pest populations and agronomic parameters in corn and soybean in Quebec (Canada)

Beyond the Headlines: The Influence of Insurance Pest Management on an Unseen, Silent Entomological Majority

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