New study predicts pest influx for Midwestern farmers
More mild winters in the future may force one particularly nefarious insect to set its sights up north, endangering key crop sectors in the Midwest.
Milder winters are likely luring a pest that can destroy corn in northern states.
Keeping nefarious pests at bay has been a constant struggle for farmers. Now, one of the most harmful pests in the United States may be making its way to the country's largest farming sector.
The pest known as the corn earworm (also sometimes referred to as the tomato fruitworm or the cotton bollworm) feeds on foliage as well as nutritious tips of corn ears, tomato fruit and bean pods. As such, the insect is a constant combatant of farmers growing corn, tomato, cotton and beans.
The corn earworm is said to be sensitive to harsh winters so it often seeks warmer weather in the South. However, milder winters in recent years in the Midwest have lured the pest north, according to new research from North Carolina State University.
The pest known as the corn earworm may spell disaster for the Midwest agricultural sector by the end of the century, a new study finds.
This could spell disaster for Midwestern farmers who produce the most corn in the country. In 2019, Iowa farmers alone produced roughly 2.58 billion bushels of corn for grain, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The "corn belt" of the United States covers Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas and western Indiana, where corn and soybeans are the dominant crops.
"I think it's something we need to keep in the back of our minds," former North Carolina State University researcher Douglas Lawton told AccuWeather National Reporter Emmy Victor. "That we already are experiencing warmer winters, and that will translate into increased pests. They're not dying off because it's too cold anymore."
After reviewing decades of soil temperature and insect population data, the researchers estimate that corn earworms could reach the Midwest before the end of the 21st century, something farmers in the region will need to keep an eye on.
The Midwest corn crop is one of several crops that could be under siege by a new influx of pests.
"Given climate change scenarios, we expect the overwintering range of this insect to expand northward, into the corn belt, over a period of several decades," North Carolina State University assistant professor Anders Huseth told Victor.
Another direct impact to farmers will be felt in their wallets, as the introduction of the pest in their communities could lead to more out-of-pocket pest control expenses to protect the corn crop. One study noted that a $20 million gross annual farming operation typically has pest control expenses running between 1% and 2.5% of gross sales, or between $200,000 and $500,000 in expenses.
The North Carolina State researchers want farmers to heed the warning, in order to protect from immense crop loss.
However, the future is not all bleak for the region, as better monitoring of the pests could help farmers control them more effectively, reducing the financial and environmental impacts of pesticide use.
"Part of our goal was to really try and shed some light on that potential change - and give farmers a heads-up... more of a longer-term view, so that they can start adjusting their management practices and are not necessarily encountering greater economic losses," Huseth said.
Reporting by Emmy Victor.
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