University of MinnesotaCorn Entomology
CORN ENTO LAB.

Protecting crops.
Preserving our tools.

Understanding pest populations and resistance is the foundation of durable corn insect management.

European corn borer F₂ screening workflow, from larval collection and rearing through single pairing, F₁ and F₂ families, diagnostic diet-overlay bioassays, and full-range assays.
01 Corn borers & Bt resistance

Monitoring European corn borer resistance, assessing its genetic basis, and evaluating risks to transgenic Bt corn.

  • Resistance surveillance and F₂ screening
  • Inheritance and resistance stability
  • Multi-state and international collaboration
Four-panel greenhouse experiment showing potted corn plants at different stages and enclosed in mesh cages.
02 Corn rootworm management

Evaluating management tools and the biology of western and northern corn rootworms.

  • Bt traits, insecticides, and seed treatments
  • Larval competition and feeding behavior
  • Egg cold tolerance and diapause
Corn earworm and Old World bollworm monitoring workflow: moth collection and preservation, DNA extraction, molecular species identification, CYP337B3 resistance allele screening, sequencing, and data analysis.
03 Corn earworm & invasive pests

Studying resistance in corn earworm and monitoring risks associated with the invasive Old World bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera.

  • Bt resistance
  • Invasive insect monitoring and risk assessment
  • Sweet corn pest management
Potted corn plants and trial containers beside a corn field.
04 Sustainable pest management

Connecting pest surveys and efficacy trials with decisions that reduce unnecessary insecticide use.

  • Statewide corn insect surveillance
  • Neonicotinoid seed treatments in corn and soybean
  • Pollinator protection and grower outreach
Research workflow connecting field problems, insect monitoring, laboratory diagnostics, biology and genomics, DNA markers, and pest and resistance management.
05 Resistance mechanisms

Characterizing the genetic, molecular, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms underlying Bt resistance

  • Mechanisms under Bt resistance
  • Bioinformatics
  • Genomics
  • RNAi
  • Gene editing