Pest Management

Assessing Insect Pest Effects on Yield and ROI of Pest Control Inputs

This multi-year project aims to identify the insect pests affecting Illinois soybean crops, their impact on soybean yield and the return on investment of control mechanisms. It will help determine threshold levels for insect pests responsible for reducing grain quality and yield, as well as develop integrated pest management recommendations.

Project Information

  • Which insect pests cause economic yield loss in soybean fields?
  • What are the economic threshold levels to make a foliar insecticide application?
  • How do soil insects impact soybean yield?
  • Under what conditions do insecticide seed treatments provide a return on investment?

  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Illinois Extension field research centers:
    • Champaign/Urbana, Monmouth, Ewing, Baylis
  • 4 farmer fields throughout Illinois
    • If you are a farmer or landowner interested in participating in this study, contact Dr. Nick Seiter

  • There is little research data about which insect pests are present in soybean fields, how they impact soybean yield, and at what infestation levels they cause economic damage.
  • Likewise, there is little research about the economic return of pest control tools, such as insecticide seed treatments and foliar insecticide applications.

  • Farmers will gain valuable data about which insect pests are causing yield loss in Illinois soybean fields and how often insecticide applications provide a positive return on investment.
  • The information will help guide insect management recommendations provided by university and extension personnel.

  • Ashley Decker, Senior Research Specialist, UIUC

About the Lead Researcher

Dr. Nicholas Seiter
Assistant Professor and Field Crops Entomologist
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
812-593-4317
nseiter@illinois.edu

Are you a farmer or advisor?

If you’re a farmer or advisor, we invite you to take our Soybean Production Concerns Survey linked below to help guide future ISA research efforts. We also encourage you to contact us below with specific production challenge research ideas.

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Are you a researcher?

If you’re a researcher interested in working with ISA on a project, we encourage you to contact us with your ideas. The RFP will open in early March. Contact us below to be added to the mailing list for more information.

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