Illinois CCA Convention 2012

I attend the Illinois CCA convention in Springfield today.  It was a pleasant experience to visit with friends, both from the  past and from the present.  A number of social media friends were in attendance.  Networking is one good reason to attend such events.  As you know by now I share the experience from a knowledge gained standpoint as well.

Two presentations, both well done, and both on different subjects had a an interesting tie in.  Mike Gray made a presentation on Western Corn Rootworm beetle that was very interesting on its own merits.  He spent a lot of time telling us about the evolution of the Western Corn Rootworm beetle and the expansion of its range.  While his information was fascinating, he spent little time telling us what to do about it.  Fortunately his handout contained the information on Western Corn Rootworm management. 

Dr. Aaron Hagar made a presentation on Palmer Amaranth that was also well done.  Since I have a couple of blogs on the subject, I do not feel compelled to share a lot of detail.  What these two presentations had in common was how long these species have been on the radar screen for pest management specialists.  Expanding range and and observed adaptability of these species to resist control measures predate GMO crops and "big bad" Monsanto by many decades.   Both Gray and Hagar presented information about these pests expanding their range and adapting to new conditions that dated back to the 1950's.  So why did agronomists not "nip it in the bud" as Barney Fife would say?  It looks to me like both of these pests are so adaptable that management will continue to be a challenge.   I do think that we are learning the importance of postponing resistance to certain products whether they be GMO products or other crop protection products.