Since 1968 there have reports of up to 100% infestation in
soybean fields by the stem borer, Dectes texanus LeConte, in
New Madrid and Dunklin counties, Missouri, which have shown
to cause up to 17% crop loss. During the 2020 field season at
Havelock farm in Lincoln, NE, we found about 70% infestation
within a one-acre plot. Due to the stem borer’s unique life
history, pesticide spray is not recommended and only 1 larvae
per plant is required for loss. Our approach to this problem is
based on previous studies which found insect resistance traits
by screening highly diverse germplasm. This past field season
we screened 720 soybean genotypes for stem borer resistance at
a location in NE and one location in KS. This talk is to report
results of the 2020 field season, ongoing analysis, and future
work for this 2-year study.