Abstract
The clover root curculio (CRC) is an important forage pest throughout North America. Extensive larval feeding on host roots has been associated with reduced stand establishment, disruption of nutrient and water uptake, increased secondary plant pathogen infection, decreased winter plant survival, and reductions in forage quality and yield. Due to the hidden nature of larvae in the soil, CRC is often overlooked and integrated pest management programs are limited as there is a lack of management options. First, I surveyed northern Utah alfalfa for CRC natural enemies, particularly insect-attacking nematodes and fungi (entomopathogens) that could be used in biological control programs against CRC larvae. I found Beauveria spp. fungi most commonly infecting CRC larvae belowground. Next, I used recent information on the CRC life cycle in the Intermountain West to test multiple field applications of soil-active biological insecticides (entomopathogenic nematodes, fungi, and bacteria) and a synthetic systemic insecticide, flupyradifurone. Although these insecticides were compatible with spray equipment and alfalfa production, applications of these products did not reduce CRC larval populations or root damage in my studies. Further, the two application timings tested (before larval peak and during larval peak) did not increase application effectiveness. However, evaluating CRC suppression in the field was challenging because they are hidden in the soil, have patchy distributions, and were observed in low numbers. Lastly, I tested existing root-pathogen resistant alfalfa varieties for potential cross-resistance to CRC, and evaluated alfalfa currently being bred at Cornell University for specific resistance to CRC larvae. Although commercial root-pathogen resistant alfalfa had no effect on CRC, the CRC-resistant alfalfa developed at Cornell University may alleviate the impact of CRC larval damage through increased nodule production. This research provides the groundwork for finding effective and long-term management solutions for CRC in the Intermountain West and will assist in the continued development of insecticide application programs and resistant host plants to ultimately improve alfalfa production.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Beauveria spp. were most commonly found infecting CRC larvae underground.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativat0 - Interactor
- CRCe0pest
- Outcome
- infecting CRC larvae belowgrounde0
BeauveriaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)”
e0“I found Beauveria spp. fungi most commonly infecting CRC larvae belowground.”
Claim · model-written summary
Biological insecticide applications did not reduce CRC larval populations.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- these insecticidese0
- Interactor
- CRCe0pest
- Outcome
- CRC larval populationse0
- Direction
- did not reducee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)”
e0“multiple field applications of soil-active biological insecticides (entomopathogenic nematodes, fungi, and bacteria) and a synthetic systemic insecticide, flupyradifurone. Although these insecticides were compatible with spray equipment and alfalfa production, applications of these products did not reduce CRC larval populations or root damage in my studies.”
Claim · model-written summary
Insecticide applications did not reduce alfalfa root damage.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- these productse0
- Interactor
- CRCe0pest
- Outcome
- root damagee0
- Direction
- did not reducee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)”
e0“applications of these products did not reduce CRC larval populations or root damage in my studies.”
Claim · model-written summary
The insecticides were compatible with spray equipment and alfalfa production.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- compatible with spray equipment and alfalfa productione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“these insecticides were compatible with spray equipment and alfalfa production”
Claim · model-written summary
Application before versus during larval peak did not improve effectiveness.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- before larval peake0
- Outcome
- application effectivenesse0
- Direction
- did not increasee0
- Comparator
- during larval peake0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)”
e0“the two application timings tested (before larval peak and during larval peak) did not increase application effectiveness.”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial root-pathogen resistant alfalfa had no effect on CRC.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- commercial root-pathogen resistant alfalfae0
- Interactor
- CRCe0pest
- Outcome
- effect on CRCe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“commercial root-pathogen resistant alfalfa had no effect on CRC”
Claim · model-written summary
Cornell CRC-resistant alfalfa may alleviate larval damage through increased nodule production.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- CRC-resistant alfalfae0
- Interactor
- CRCe0pest
- Outcome
- impact of CRC larval damagee0
- Qualifier
- increased nodule productione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the CRC-resistant alfalfa developed at Cornell University may alleviate the impact of CRC larval damage through increased nodule production.”
The same questions in other papers
insecticide · pest · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Positive and negative results
4 papers in the same direction as this paper · 11 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- positive
- positive
12 papers more in this group
See all 16 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.