This year has been a tough one for southwest Minnesota farmers dealing with corn rootworms. University of Minnesota Extension Integrated Pest Management Specialist Bruce Potter says last year and especially this year the corn rootworms overwintered well and survived to cause damage to the corn.

He says one of the best prevention steps farmers can take is properly rotate their crops.

Potter says corn rootworms eat away at the roots of the corn and can lead to lodging and other problems such as taking away moisture from the plant and causing wilting.

Potter says it’s been a mild year disease wise and there’s been little difficulty with soybean aphids or stalk rot.