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189
Management of Western Corn Rootworm
(Diabrotica virgifera virgifera)
Ivan Sivčev1, Petar Kljajić2, Miroslav Kostić3, Lazar Sivčev4 and Slađan Stanković5
1Institute for Plant Protection and Enironment, Teodora Drajzera 9, Belgrade, Serbia
(ivansivcev2011@gmail.com)
2Institue of Pesticides and Enironmental Protection, Banatska 31b, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
3Institute for Medicinal Plants Research “Dr Josif Pančić”, Tadeuša Košćuška 9,
11000 Belgrade, Serbia
4Scholar of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia
5Institute for Science Application in Agriculture, Bulevar Despota Stefana 2,
11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Received: June 4, 2012
Accepted: August 9, 2012
SUMMARY
Western corn rootworm (WCR) was registered for the first time in Europe near the Surčin
international airport in Serbia in 1992. The spread of WCR on the territory of Serbia and its
population density increased fast. The Serbian territory was entirely populated in the fol-
lowing few years, while major damages occurred on corn grown for two or more years in
the same field. Data on damages caused to over 140,000 ha under corn until 1999 were col-
lected by organized monitoring. After 2000 and 2003, population abundance of D.v. virgif-
era, as well as the number of damaged corn fields, significantly decreased due to drought
and application of crop rotation. Corn rootworm has one generation per year. It overwin-
ters in the egg stage. Under the climatic conditions of Serbia larvae hatching starts around
May 15th. The highest number of larvae on root is observed around June 20th when feed-
ing is most intensive and plants become lodged as they lose roots. First adults emerge by
the end of June. Their abundance increases during July and reaches maximum by the end
of the month. From the second decade of August the abundance decreases. Adults are
present in the field until the first frosts. Larvae are much more harmful and significant than
adults. Larvae feed on roots or into roots by boring. Roots can be entirely destroyed under
heavy attack and the host plants lodged already at the end of June. Under our climatic and
agrotechnical conditions, adults are sporadic pests. Adults are a threat only when sowing is
done after the optimal sowing date or in case of stubble corn sowing.
Crop rotation is an efficient and most widespread means of WCR control. No damage
on corn grown in crop rotation has been registered in Serbia for now. In the first year of pro-
duction corn does not require protection from Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte larvae.
Several insecticides have performed high efficacy by application at sowing and have
been registered for commercial use. On the other hand, soil insecticides have never been
applied on a significant area in Serbia.
Keywords: Western Corn Rootworm; Maize; Insecticides; Pest management
Pestic. Phytomed. (Belgrade), 27(3), 2012, 189–201 UDC: 632.7:595.76:634.13
DOI: 10.2298/PIF1203189S Review paper
190
Ivan Sivčev et al.
INTRODUCTION
Corn reached Serbia over 400 years ago, after Columbus
brought it to Spain, whence it was introduced to France
and Italy in 1550 and then brought to the neighboring Bal-
kan countries by Venetian merchants (Stavrianos, 2000).
After centuries of cultivation in Serbia, corn has become
a traditional crop that is mostly used as grain or silage fod-
der. Due to favorable climatic and soil conditions, as well
as market demands, corn production is growing. In Ser-
bia, corn is grown on 1.3 million ha, ranking the country
among six European countries with over 1 million ha un-
der corn. This crop is grown on about 15 million ha across
Europe, out of which the region of Central and Eastern
Europe accounts for about 7 million ha. Corn production
is therefore of major importance for the economies of pro-
ducing countries and a key plant in meat production.
Corn is commonly infested by various domestic insects
known as pests of indigenous plants, such as click beetle
and cockchafer larvae, corn beetle, corn borer, corn ear-
worm, rodents, etc. (Čamprag, 1994). However, not a single
of these organisms is a limiting factor for corn production.
The increasing needs for corn grain, accompanied
by newly introduced mechanization, mineral fertiliz-
ers, pesticides and high yielding hybrids, have resulted
in enlarged acreage under corn. In Serbia, the share of
repeated sowing has been up to 30%, while at some vil-
lages of Southern Banat corn grown in monoculture
accounted for as much as 83% (Stanković et al., 1998).
As corn is tolerant to monoculture, no serious problem
with pests or diseases has been recorded.
During its spread in the Serbian territory, the abun-
dance of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte grew,
particularly in areas with continuous corn. Damages oc-
curred only in fields in which corn was grown over sever-
al consecutive years, which was a smaller share of Serbian
corn production. The major share of corn production was
not at all threatened by the appearance of the new pest.
After the year 2000, damages were recorded on a very
small number of corn fields. The results of our own activ-
ities in WCR control, as well as the relevant data obtained
from international researches, are presented in this paper.
Emergence and spread of Diabrotica virgifera
virgifera in Serbia and Europe
Western corn rootworm (WCR) was registered for
the first time in Europe in 1992 when it appeared near
the Surčin international airport in Serbia. An abun-
dant population of adults of the new invasive insect
Figure 1. Distribution of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera in Europe in 2011 (Edwards, 2012) http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/wcr/
191
Pestic. Phytomed. (Belgrade), 27(3), 2012, 189–201
species and serious damage on roots were found on corn
grown in monoculture near the airport (Bača, 1994).
The emergence of D. v. virgifera, the most important
corn pest in the USA (Metcalf, 1986), made Serbian
farmers anxious because of the great importance corn
has had for the economy. The fact that its population
was already abundant at that time indicated that the
insect had been brought in at some earlier date. Also,
it was clear that the insect had all the necessary condi-
tions for development in our region, such as favorable
soil, climate and food. The spread of WCR in the ter-
ritory of Serbia and its population density increase were
therefore fast (Sivčev et al., 1994; Sivčev and Tomašev,
2002). The pest spread over the entire territory of Ser-
bia during the following few years, while major dam-
ages occurred on corn grown for two or more years
in the same field. Data on damaged corn were collect-
ed by organized monitoring on over 140,000 ha until
1999. After 2000 and 2003, population abundance of
D. v. virgifera, as well as the number of damaged corn
fields, significantly decreased due to drought and prac-
ticed crop rotation.
In the following years, D. v. virgifera rapidly spread
to neighboring countries and then throughout the
region (Kiss et al., 2005) (Figure 1). Csalomon type
pheromon traps were an important tool in detection
of the new pest (Toth et al., 1996, 2003). D. v. virgif-
era adults were found on several international airports
in Europe, which was a motive to carry out a research
of genetic variations in their populations. Miller et al.
(2005) found that out of five analyzed populations,
three were not related to the population introduced in
Serbia. Based on these results, it was generally accept-
ed that WCR was introduced in Europe from the USA
in at least three independent introduction points after
the initial one in Serbia.
Distribution and significance of Diabrotica
virgifera virgifera in the USA
On the American continent, D. v. virgifera is one of
ten economically most important species of the genus
Diabrotica. Six species are present in tropical and sub-
tropical regions of America, and four species in the tem-
perate-continental part of North America, of which
Diabrotica virgifera virgifera is the most important corn
pest (Chiang, 1973; Krysan, 1982, 1986).
There are two subspecies of Diabrotica virgifera Le-
Conte (Krysan et al., 1980): Diabrotica virgifera virgif-
era (western corn rootworm) and Diabrotica virgifera
Figure 2. Distribution of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera in the USA in 2011 (Edwards, 2012) http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/wcr/
192
Ivan Sivčev et al.
zeae (Mexican corn rootworm). D. virgifera virgifera
populations have spread from Middle West to East and
Southeast of the USA and as far as Lake Ontario
(Canada) to the north (Figure 2), and have adapt-
ed to temperate climate. D. virgifera zeae has most-
ly spread from Texas and Oklahoma (USA) to Pan-
ama, and has adapted to warm climate. The subspe-
cies Diabrotica virgifera zeae is not a particularly im-
portant pest because corn is not intensively cultivat-
ed in areas of its distribution.
Intensive production of corn in monoculture has led
to a fast spread of D. v. virgifera in North America.
Territorial expansion of this species reached its max-
imum in America during the 1980s and in Europe in
the 1990s (Gray et al., 2009).
Factors that enabled massive reproduction
and spread of the pest
Western corn rootworm originated from Central
America, and it reached northern parts of the conti-
nent with corn (Krysan, 1982). As a pest, it was first
mentioned in 1909 on sweet corn (Gillett, 1912).
First significant damages occurred in the USA after
World War II. Continuous corn is the most important
cause of massive reproduction and territorial expansion
of this pest species (Chiang, 1973). In some corn grow-
ing areas in the USA, up to 60% of total corn acreage
was under monoculture at the time. As it spread in-
to new areas, this insect species became the most im-
portant pest of corn in the USA. The development of
processing industry with a large number of products de-
rived from corn as a raw material, increased the interest
of farmers in its production.
High demands led to massive corn production in mo-
noculture. As the crop was grown in the same fields for
two or more consecutive years, favorable conditions were
created for pest reproduction. When insects are present
on host plants in high abundance, they cause significant
damage. Such major damage on corn plants is caused by
corn rootworm larvae and, due to the extent of dam-
age, it is considered the most important corn pest in the
USA. Total annual costs of chemical control of Diab-
rotica species, together with the damage they cause on
corn, soon reached an amount of almost one billion dol-
lars (Metcalf, 1986).
In corn growing areas where soybean and corn are
rotated, insect adaptation and altered behavior have
been recently observed with massively laid eggs in soy-
bean crop too. Larvae normally do not survive on soy-
bean, but their survival is possible on corn sown after
it. This adaption caused many troubles for producers
who do not want to give up the production of these two
profitable crops. Although the problem can be easily
solved, and the pest can be controlled by sowing non-
host plants after soybean, which would stop pest devel-
opment, the solution to this problem is sought in genet-
ic engineering in the USA.
Biology of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera
D. v. virgifera (Figure 3) has one generation per year.
It overwinters in the egg stage. Under the climatic con-
ditions of Serbia, larvae hatching starts around May
15th. The highest number of larvae on roots is ob-
served around June 20th when feeding is most inten-
sive and plants become lodged as they lose roots. In
years with warmer springs, hatching and development
start earlier, as for example in 2000 when maximum
larval abundance was recorded as early as on May 31st
(Sivčev and Tomašev, 2002). Hatched specimens start
to move through soil in search of corn roots. This is a
critical period in their development because mortali-
ty of young larvae can exceed 90% (Toepfer and Kuhl-
man, 2006). Corn is a primary host for WCR larvae
(Branson and Krysan, 1981; Clark and Hibbard, 2004;
Wilson and Hibbard, 2004) which is why large areas
under continuous corn are favorable for their survival
and population growth (Hill and Mayo, 1980). Larvae
pupate in soil chambers in the root zone. They remain
in the pupal stage for 7-10 days. First adults emerge
by the end of June. Their abundance increases during
July and reaches maximum by the end of the month.
From the second decade of August the abundance de-
creases. Adults are present in the field until first frosts
(Bača et al., 1995).
Figure 3. D.v. virgifera female on corn leaf
193
Pestic. Phytomed. (Belgrade), 27(3), 2012, 189–201
Before flowering, they are usually found on corn
leaves, and in the flowering period on corn tassels and
silk. After flowering, adults are usually found hidden
in high numbers in leaf axils because pollen is deposit-
ed there, or at the top of the corn ear where they feed
on the remaining fresh silk. Therefore, in corn exami-
nation at this phenophase, special attention should be
paid to these spots. The average life duration of adults
is 5-6 weeks. Massive egg laying occurs in August.
Adults prefer feeding on pollen, silk and corn ear top
which provides additional feeding for females and high
egg production. Females lay from several hundred to
one thousand eggs. When food is scarce, females can
leave corn fields for additional feeding, but they usu-
ally come back for oviposition. Corn fields with late
flowering attract large numbers of adults and massive
oviposition occurs in such crops. This repeated ovipo-
sition scheme is different in areas where females mas-
sively lay eggs in soybean crops as well.
Noxiousness of western corn rootworm
Although adults feed on flowers of a large number
of plants and larvae can feed on roots of many differ-
ent grasses (Clark and Hibbard, 2004; Moeser and
Vidal, 2004; Moeser and Hibbard, 2005; Cvrković,
2006) western corn rootworm is only known as a corn
pest. When abundant, larvae are much more harmful
and significant than adults. Larvae feed on roots or
into roots by boring. Roots can be entirely destroyed
under heavy attack and such plants become lodged
already at the end of June (Figures 5 and 6). Corn
stalks with partially damaged roots are lodged and
have a distinctive look of goose neck. Damaged corn
root cannot provide enough water and nutrients for
the plant, which results in smaller grain yield. Such
damage is characterized as direct and is much more
severe under conditions of drought. Corn plants can
regenerate their roots when soil has enough moisture
and is fertile. However, indirect damage from plant
lodging (Figure 4) is usually more important because
harvesters cannot pick up ears from such corn plants.
Under our climatic and agrotechnical conditions,
adults are sporadic pests. Adults are a threat only in
cases of sowing after the optimal sowing date or in
case of stubble corn sowing. Adults feed on corn pol-
len, silk, leaves and on young, juicy ears. Besides corn,
adults can also feed on different cultivated or weed
plants (sunflower, pumpkins, bean leaves, flowers of
vegetables and weeds, etc.) where alternative pollen
sources are available.
Figure 4. Lodged corn plants
Figure 5. Feeding scars on corn root
Figure 6. Heavily damaged corn root
194
Ivan Sivčev et al.
Control of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera
by crop rotation
After World War II, American farmers extensively
used crop rotation for control of this pest, which gave
good results throughout the corn producing area. In
central parts of that region, corn and soybean rotation
predominated under favorable climatic and soil condi-
tions there. However, after a relatively short period, this
rotation practice became insufficient. First damages on
corn in crop rotation were recorded in Ford County,
Illinois, in 1987 (Levine and Oloumi-Sadeghi, 1996;
Gray et al., 1998; Levine et al., 2002). In that area, the
pest appeared after 1966 and over the following 20 years
it adapted to the applied crop rotation. American au-
thors believe that the selection pressure of narrow rota-
tion (corn-soybean) was very high in that part of Illinois
and that it was there that resistance to crop rotation first
occurred. In the region, 89% of the land is used for ag-
riculture and 98% of that area is under corn in crop ro-
tation with soybean (Onstad et al., 1999, 2001).
It was found that a behavioral change occurred (be-
havioral resistance) and that the insects began to lay
eggs massively in soybean crops as well. As eggs laid in
soil under a soybean crop hatch in the spring of the fol-
lowing year when corn is sown, damage on corn was ob-
served in the first production year. By 1995, this type
of crop rotation became inefficient in other parts of Il-
linois and Indiana as well. By 2007, damage on corn in
crop rotation expanded to seven states of the central
part of the corn producing region (Gray et al., 2009).
Notably, crop rotation is still efficient in most parts
of that corn producting region where plants other than
soybean are used in rotation. As D. v. virgifera causes
damage and reduces corn yield both in crop rotation
and in monoculture, damage caused by this pest in the
USA has been estimated at more than one billion USD
(Mitchell et al., 2004).
In America, crop rotation is considered to have lim-
ited value for WCR control because it has been proved
that the insect can lay eggs also in alfalfa, winter wheat,
rye, and it can also feed on roots of other grasses be-
sides corn (Branson and Ortman, 1967, 1970; Rondon
and Gray, 2003; Clark and Hibbard, 2004; Schroed-
er et al., 2005).
In Southeast Europe, WCR also lays eggs in winter
wheat and alfalfa crops, but the number of surviving
adults is low and is not a threat to corn roots (Kiss et
al., 2001, 2002, 2005).
Based on the situation in Illinois, Onstadt et al.
(2003) concluded that the expansion of territories with
damaged corn in crop rotation decreased with increas-
ing field diversity. The same process is considered in-
evitable in Europe but expected to have a slower pace.
Onstadt et al. (2003) showed that increased applica-
tion of crop rotation also increased the number of in-
sects adapted to crop rotation. The authors expect ro-
tation resistance to evolve in Europe after 15 years of
crop rotation practice.
The relation between crop rotation and WCR abun-
dance in Serbia is within limits of expected pest behav-
ior. Population density decreases with an increase in
crop rotation practice, i.e. population density increases
when corn is grown for two or more years in the same
field (Sivčev et al., 2009). This points to the fact that
corn is still the primary host for WCR because females
still lay eggs mostly on corn. Due to this insect behav-
ior, crop rotation is efficient in Serbia. It is obviously
the agrobiodiversity that explains the existing behavio-
ral differences regarding the pest. No damage on corn
grown in crop rotation has been registered in Serbia for
now. In the first year of production, corn does not re-
quire protection from D.v. virgifera larvae.
The advantage of European agriculture is a signifi-
cantly lower selection pressure as corn fields account
for 13% of total agricultural land (Nieuwenhuyse et al.,
2009). Where agricultural land with a significant share
of corn is predominant, crop rotation is encouraged by
administrative measures. A new agricultural subsidy
system has been introduced in Hungary, and crop ro-
tation is now a mandatory criterion for farmers to re-
ceive subsidies. These rotation systems are dominated
by winter wheat and other cereal crops, while sunflow-
er and oilseed rape are used as pre-crop plants (Hata-
la Zsellér, 2007). Crop rotation is the effective key ele-
ment of pest eradication in the EU and the only control
measure to eradicate D. virgifera virgifera in Switzer-
land (Baufeld, 2009). The economy of WCR manage-
ment is very important and can lead farmers in differ-
ent European countries to prefer one management op-
tion over another. A recent study (Dillen at all., 2010)
has showed that, due to different costs of WCR control
and its effects on yields, there is no unique WCR man-
agement option suitable for different corn producing
countries in Europe.
Chemical control of Diabrotica virgifera
virgifera
Corn was massively grown in monoculture in the
USA as a result of high demand, so that control meas-
ures were applied on over 12 million ha of fields in some
195
Pestic. Phytomed. (Belgrade), 27(3), 2012, 189–201
years (Sutter et al., 1989). During 1973, soil insecticides
were applied to over 60% of total corn acreage in the
USA (Chio et al., 1978). Some recent estimation sug-
gests that corn rootworm is annually treated on 5.7-10.1
million ha of corn fields with organophosphates, car-
bamates, pyrethroids and phenyl pyrazole insecticides
(Ward et. al., 2005).
Chemical treatments can be applied against larvae or
adults of D.v. virgifera.
Control of larvae by soil insecticides
Soil insecticides are applied to control WCR larvae
because they spend their whole life in soil feeding on
corn roots. Insecticides can be applied prior to sowing,
at the time of sowing or after it (during vegetation). The
use of granulated soil insecticides has been widespread
in practice (Hills and Peters, 1972) and they proved to
be more efficient than liquid formulations (Ostlie and
Noetzel, 1987).
When damage was observed in the post-World War II
period, American farmers started to apply organochlo-
rine insecticides to control larvae (Hill et al., 1948). Mass
application of organochlorine insecticides began with
benzene hexachloride around 1949, followed by aldrine
and chlordane, while heptachlor was used as of 1954.
Lack of control efficacy was first registered in Nebrasca
already in 1959, and during 1960 and 1961 the problem
became widespread throughout the corn producing re-
gion (Ball and Weekman, 1962, 1963; Bigger, 1963; Blair
et al., 1963; Hamilton, 1965; Patel and Apple, 1966).
The resistance proved to be stable because it was
brought to Serbia although organochlorine insecticides
have not been in use in the USA for over 20 years (Perić
et al., 1996, 1998).
New insecticides, organophosphates and carbamates,
were introduced into practice and the method of appli-
cation was also altered. Application of soil insecticides
simultaneously with sowing became the most common
method for application of soil insecticides against corn
rootworm larvae. Granulated insecticide products are
placed in furrows or strips 15 cm in width, in a soil layer
above the seed (Erbach and Tollefson, 1983). The insec-
ticide is then incorporated in soil using ribbed wheel, or
it is rolled over in the soil using a massive chain. Liquid
formulations are applied by low pressure sprayers. This
application method significantly reduces the quantity
of applied insecticide because the treated area is much
smaller. If an insecticide is not toxic to germinated
plants, it can be deposited in the immediate vicinity of
the seed. Application around and above the seed in the
form of a T letter has also been developed and is known
as T-band application. Depending on whether an insec-
ticide is moderately or highly mobile, or the season is
dry or high in precipitation, the insecticide applied to
the surface layer of soil can remain there or be washed
into deeper layers. In both cases, the efficacy would be
lower than satisfactory.
New insecticides from the carbamate (carbofuran)
and organophosphate (parathion, phorate, fonofos and
diazinon) groups were commercialized in the 1970s and
widely used to control western corn rootworm larvae
(Peters 1964; Apple et al., 1969). The use of chlorpy-
rifos and terbufos and pyrethroids (tefluthrin) started
somewhat later. A newly developed organophosphate
insecticide, a combination of tebupirimphos and cy-
fluthrin, was registered for corn rootworm larvae in
2000 and is widely used in granule formulations (Ger-
ber et al., 2005). In Serbia, only terbufos, and tebupir-
imfos plus cyfluthrin have shown good efficacy in years
with normal conditions, but also in extremely wet or
dry weather (Sivčev, 1997).
Insecticide application coinciding with strip sowing
also led to adverse changes. Investigation into the ef-
fects of three most commonly used insecticides (car-
bofuran, chlorpyrifos and terbufos) applied in strips
against D.v. virgifera showed that these insecticides
provided good protection of corn roots from larval at-
tack but did not reduce the population of corn root-
worm. This explains why there is usually no damage on
treated fields, but the population of surviving adults is
very high (Levine and Oloumi-Sadeghi, 1991; Gray et
al., 1992; Chandler, 2003; Furlan et al., 2006).
Several authors investigated the method of appli-
cation and efficacy of different insecticides in Serbia
(Sivčev, 1997, 1998; Bača et al., 1998; Sivčev et al., 1998,
2000). The results showed that high efficacy can be
achieved by application at sowing, while treatment dur-
ing vegetation proved to be less efficient. However, soil
insecticides have never been applied to large areas in
Serbia. The main reason for this is unprofitability of
such practice because farmers find no economic intrest
in buying and applying insecticides.
The following insecticides are currently in use in the
USA (Indiana) for WCR control: bifenthrin, chlore-
thoxyphos plus bifen thrin, chlorpyrifos, clothianidin, te-
bupirimfos plus cyfluthrin, terbufos, tefluthrin (Krupke
et al., 2011). Tefluthrin (Force) and tebupirimfos plus
cyfluthrin (Aztec) formulated as granules are predomi-
nantly used. The same insecticides have been registered
in the European Union. Due to legislation that does not
support granules [Annex I of the Directive 91/414/ EEC
196
Ivan Sivčev et al.
(http://www.ec.europa.eu)], liquid formulations are pre-
ferred and recommended, but some efficient insecticides
have been withdrawn from the market that way because
of their toxicity, e.g. phorate, terbufos, chlorpyrifos gran-
ules and carbofuran (van Rozen and Ester, 2009).
Seed treatment
Before synthetic insecticides from the neonicotinoid
goup appeared, insecticide seed treatments had been rare-
ly applied for control of D.v. virgifera in the USA. Three
neonicotinoid insecticides – clothianidin, thiamethox-
am and imidacloprid – are currently available for corn
protection. Corn seed treated with thiamethoxam and
clothianidin is a widespread management tactic used
even for transgenic corn seed (El Khishen et al., 2009).
However, the efficacy of insecticides applied to seeds,
regardless of the type of active ingredient, is not always
satisfactory (Tollefson, 2004, 2005, 2006; Obermeyer
et al., 2006; Furlan et al., 2009). Therefore, this man-
agement method is recommended when the abundance
of D.v. virgifera is low or medium. Treated seed is re-
garded as a root protection measure more than a tool
for population abundance reduction (Obermeyer et al.,
2006). Similarly to granules, insecticides intended for
seed treatment, such as imidacloprid, fipronil, thiam-
ethoxam and tefluthrin, do not reduce population of
D.v. virgifera adults (Furlan et al., 2006). Besides, it was
found that insecticides from the neonicotinoid group
have adverse effects on honeybees (Girolami et al., 2012).
Adult management
Foliar treatment of corn was widely used in the USA
in the 1980s. In 1973, air-treatment was conducted on 4
million hectares to control overpopulated adults (Chio
et al., 1978).
Besides prevention of direct damage, the aim of adult
control can be a reduction of their population to pre-
vent oviposition in soil, i.e. to prevent larval damage in
the following year. However, one treatment has been
usually found insufficient for successful population
control and a second treatment is therefore required,
which makes the control more expensive. In practice,
this control method has been suppressed by application
of soil insecticides at sowing, which is a cheaper, more
reliable and simpler method.
Because of the height of corn, treatment in August
when plants are fully developed is possible only by high-
clearance tractors or by airplanes. Air treatment is not al-
lowed in some EU countries, while general EU standpoint
is against the use of airplanes (van Rozen and Ester, 2010).
Under the agroecological conditions existing in Ser-
bia, adults can rarely be harmful. Adult insects are re-
garded as pests only when they are found in high abun-
dance during the pollination period. The peak of adult
emergence in Serbia takes place only after the pollina-
tion phase of corn is over. However, if adult population
is high, damage can also occur on corn plants of later
blooming, at the end of July or beginning of August, as
it is the case with late sowing or stubble corn. Massive
adult feeding on silk, when silk is entirely eaten, causes
partial bareness of ears. Shortened silk keeps its func-
tion and pollination is possible.
Transgenic resistant varieties of corn
In 2003, Bt corn got a permission in the USA to be
used as a means of reducing damage caused by Diabroti-
ca virgifera virgifera larvae. Since then, its use has rapid-
ly spread, gaining a share of 45% of total production in
2009. However, fast occurrence of larval resistance and
damages on Bt corn brough its further use for control
of D.v. virgifera into question (Gassmann et al., 2011).
During 2011, fields under Bt corn were surveyed in Io-
wa and Illinois, and plant roots damaged by larvae and a
high number of adults were found (Gray, 2011a, 2011b).
An insufficient dose of Cry3Bb1 toxic protein crystalin in
commercial corn was addressed as one of the reasons for
this. Another factor that may have contributed to the ev-
olution of resistance was insufficient refuge populations.
Currently, only 50% of Bt corn planted in Midwest com-
plies with the US EPA requirements for refuge size and
proximity to Bt fields (Jaffe, 2009). Gray (2011a) regards
that an enormous selection pressure on this insect spe-
cies is responsible for this situation. The pressure comes
in multiple forms: increased use of Bt hybrids, neonico-
tinoid insecticidal seed treatments, and broadcast treat-
ments of corn and soybean fields with pyrethroid insec-
ticides that are frequently tank-mixed with fungicides.
Presuming their good efficacy, Dillan et al. (2010)
showed that Bt corn grown in monoculture is the best
option as it creates the highest value in 78% of the cas-
es. In Serbia, as well as in the European Union, Bt corn
active against WCR is not deregulated.
Eradication of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera
and its containment measures in Europe
Several European Union member-states have at-
tempted to contain and eradicate western corn root-
worm (WCR). Eradication and containment measures
197
Pestic. Phytomed. (Belgrade), 27(3), 2012, 189–201
are regulated by EU directives and national regulations,
and include crop rotation and insecticide treatments
within different types of buffer zones surrounding new
introduction points (Carrasco et al., 2010).
So far, several eradication actions have been or-
ganized throughout Europe. The first beetles in Ita-
ly were caught near the Marco Polo airport in Venice
in 1998 and an eradication program was initiated im-
mediately thereafter (Furlan et al., 1998). Despite the
encouraging results, this area was in 2006 declared
to have an established WCR population. (Vettoraz-
zo, 2009). In 2002, D. virgifera virgifera was found
for the first time in France near Paris airports and in
2003 on another location, and eradication measures
were taken with success. In 2003 D. virgifera virgif-
era was found in London and was eradicated by 2008.
In The Netherlands, 5 introductions were recorded
in 2003 and 2005 and all WCR beetles were eradi-
cated. In Belgium, WCR was recorded near Brussels
in 2003 and also successfully eradicated. In Switzer-
land, WCR was registered on 6 different introduc-
tion sites in 2003, 2004 and 2006, and eradicated
(Baufeld, 2009). In 2007, D. virgifera virgifera was
detected for the first time in Germany (Baden-Würt-
temberg and Bayern) and eradication measures were
taken (Anonymous, 2012).
In South-Eastern Europe, no eradication campaigns
have been organized against WCR. However, efforts
were made in Serbia back in 1994 to organize eradica-
tion. The existing information on WCR distribution
in the Serbian territory in 1993 and 1994 were a ba-
sis for a relevant government commission to invite in-
ternational organizations to provide technical assist-
ance in eradication of WCR. It was a timely action since
WCR distribution in the Serbian territory was then
limited to a relatively small area and was approaching a
few neighboring countries. Unfortunately, no response
came from the international organizations, so that oth-
er management options were used to contain WCR,
primarily crop rotation. Pest containment focusing on
prevention measures was successful and WCR damag-
es were made sporadic.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This paper is part of the project III 46008 „Devel-
opment of integrated systems for pest management in
plant production aiming to overcome resistance and
improve food quality and safety”, funded by the Minis-
try of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia.
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Suzbijanje kukuruzove zlatice
Diabrotica virgifera virgifera
REZIME
Kukuruzova zlatica je prvi put registrovana 1992. godine pored međunarodnog aero-
droma Surčin. Širenje zlatice po teritoriji Srbije i porast gustine njene populacije je bilo br-
zo. Celokupna teritorija Srbije je naseljena u narednih nekoliko godina, pri čemu su se zna-
čajne štete javile na kukuruzu u ponovljenoj setvi. Sakupljeni su podaci o štetama na preko
140.000 ha kukuruza u periodu do 1999. godine. Posle 2000. i 2003. godine brojnost popu-
alcije D.v. virgifera kao i broj oštećenih kukuruzovih polja je značajno smanjen zbog suše i
masovne primene plodoreda. Kukuruzova zlatica ima jednu generaciju godišnje. Prezimlja-
va u stadijumu jajeta. U klimatskim uslovima Srbije piljenje larvi počinje oko 15. maja. Naj-
veći broj larvi se nalazi na korenu kukuruza oko 20. juna kada je ishrana larvi najintenzivni-
ja. Zbog gubitka korena dolazi do poleganja biljaka. Odrasli insekti se javljaju krajem juna.
Njihova brojnost raste tokom jula i dostiže maksimum krajem tog meseca. Od druge deka-
de avgusta brojnost imaga opada. Odrasli insekti se mogu naći u polju sve do prvih mra-
zeva. Larve se hrane na korenu ili se ubušuju u njega. U slučaju velikog napada koren može
biti potpuno uništen i takve biljke već krajem juna poležu. U našim klimatskim i agrotehnič-
kim uslovima odrasli insekti su sporadične štetočine. Oni mogu biti štetni u slučajevima ka-
snije setve ili postrne setve.
Plodored je efikasan i najrasprostranjeniji način suzbijanja kukuruzove zlatice. Do sada
se u Srbiji nisu javile štete na kukuruzu u plodoredu. Stoga se u kukuruzu u plodoredu ne
primenjuju zaštitne mere.
Više insekticida pokazuje dobre rezultate u suzbijanju kukuruzove zlatice kada se prime-
njuju sa setvom i imaju dozvolu za primenu u Srbiji. Međutim, zemljišni insekticidi nisu nika-
da do sada primenjeni na većim površinama za suzbijanje kukuruzove zlatice.
Ključne reči: Kukuruzova zlatica; kukuruz; insekticidi; suzbijanje
