The European corn borer is one of the most damaging insects in Iowa cornfields, causing more than $100 million in crop losses each year. In this project, the sex attractant pheromone of the European corn borer was used to obstruct the ability of the adult male moths to locate females for mating. In the first year, efforts focused on mating disruption in a small area, while in the second year dispensers were deployed on a larger scale and evaluated for efficacy.

With Iowa farmers returning land from the Conservation Reserve Program and pasture use to crop production, there is a need to deal with potential wireworm infestations. Researchers sought to develop an early warning system for locations "at risk" from wireworms, using Geographical Information Systems technology. User-friendly wireworm diagnostics for farmers were researched, along with low-risk cropping alternatives to planting insecticide-protected corn. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) recommendations were generated that, if implemented, will reduce unnecessary insecticide use in Iowa.