Like other insects and plant pests, Western corn rootworm is
making an early appearance in Ohio due to hot, dry conditions,
prompting field scouting for feeding injury. Ron Hammond, an
Ohio State University Extension entomologist, said that now is
the time to assess root injury from larvae of Western corn
rootworm and the variant, as well as take notice of adults that
might be eyeing corn silks in uneven fields. “This is the time
when it’s imperative we determine how heavy the populations are
this year, how well control tactics have worked and how common
the first-year corn rootworm variant has been in Ohio,” said
Hammond, with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development
Center. The rootworm larvae cause the most significant damage by
feeding on corn roots. In severe cases, corn lodging can occur
and reduce yields. Growers can determine how extensive larval
root feeding is by grading the roots on a 0-to-3 scale. Zero
indicates no visible damage to roots, 1 indicates one node of
roots destroyed, 2 indicates