BULLETIN NO:  MGR-97-029

TO:      All Reinsured Companies
         All Risk Management Field Offices
         FSA Headquarters, Program Delivery & Field Operations
         
FROM:    Kenneth D. Ackerman 
         Administrator 
         
SUBJECT: Corn Rootworm Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Demonstration Project


BACKGROUND:

Risk Management Agency (RMA) received a request to provide insurance 
protection to corn producers participating in the Agricultural Research 
Service's (ARS)  Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Area wide Corn Rootworm 
Project.  This project is funded by the Department of Agriculture and 
coordinated by the ARS Corn Rootworm Laboratory in Brookings, South Dakota.  
It involves land-grant Universities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and
Kansas, and is intended to demonstrate the effectiveness of IPM procedures 
to control corn rootworm.

Corn rootworm refers to four Diabrotica species commonly named the Northern, 
Western, Southwestern, and Southern corn rootworm.  The larvae of these 
species damage corn throughout the corn belt by feeding on roots.  Eggs are 
laid by adults in the soil.  The eggs hatch the following spring and the 
larvae feed on roots of young corn plants, thus reducing nutrient and
water uptake.  Damage is most severe when the corn is stressed, but yield 
loss is minimal when soil moisture and fertility are adequate.

Analysis of the data submitted by the ARS indicates that the risk of 
significant damage from corn rootworm in a tightly controlled IPM 
demonstration project such as this is small.  This is due to five factors: 
1) the demonstration sites will be scouted weekly from adult emergence 
through its egg laying stage; 2) the insecticides, SLAM or COMPELL, will be 
applied as necessary to achieve needed reductions in egg laying; 3) the 
demonstration areas will be resprayed as necessary; 4) where scouting 
indicates insufficient control, cooperators will be advised to utilize
a soil insecticide treatment or to rotate to a nonsusceptible crop the 
following year; and 5) multi-year data from ARS supervised trials in South 
Dakota and Texas indicate control of corn rootworm is equal to current 
practices.  Also, the risk of losses from other pests will be reduced
because scouts will identify other problems so that growers can take timely 
action.  


RMA is supporting this ARS demonstration project by assuring cooperating 
farmers that their crop insurance coverage will apply to acreage in the IPM 
demonstration sites, which are located in Iroquois County, Illinois; Benton 
County, Indiana; Clinton County, Iowa; Republic County, Kansas; Brookings 
County, South Dakota; and Bell County, Texas.

The demonstration project utilizes semiochemical based insecticides, which 
prevent damage to beneficial insects and reduce human and environmental risks.  
Two insecticide products will be used on acreage when adult populations 
exceed a specified threshold, as measured by IPM scouting.  This adult 
control concept will reduce egg laying and preclude the need to use soil
insecticides at planting the following year.  If weekly IPM scouting reports 
indicate that adult rootworm suppression was inadequate, cooperating farmers 
will be advised not to plant corn (this would not entitle farmers to the 25 
percent alternative crop prevented planting payment) or to use a soil 
insecticide treatment for corn rootworm control.

ACTION:

For policyholders participating in the ARS Corn Rootworm Demonstration 
project, in the above identified counties who insure corn, hybrid corn seed, 
popcorn, or sweetcorn, reinsured companies are authorized to issue agreements 
in writing for the 1998 through 2002 crop years that provide the following:

     "Recognized good farming practices" will include adult corn rootworm 
     control with semiochemical based insecticides recommended as part of the 
     United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service 
     (USDA/ARS) sponsored Area wide Corn Rootworm Integrated Pest Management 
     (IPM) Demonstration Project.  

     Whenever IPM scouting reports indicate that adult rootworm suppression has been
     inadequate and you are advised not to plant corn, the affected acreage 
     will not be considered prevented from planting.  No prevented planting 
     indemnity for corn, hybrid seed corn, popcorn or sweet corn will be paid 
     on that acreage.

If you have any questions about this pilot program, please contact 
Vondie O'Conner at (816) 926-6343 or by fax at (816) 926-7343.