Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments: Agronomics and Environmental Impacts – 2021 Virtual Annual Conference

Most conventional soybean seed in Iowa, and almost all conventional corn seed, is sold with neonicotinoid seed coatings. Many farmers are concerned about the environmental impacts of neonic treatments and are questioning whether they improve yields. In this session, learn about on-farm research conducted by PFI lifetime member Dick Sloan, and hear from Matt O’Neal about pest management and the environmental impacts of neonics.

• Dick Sloan and his wife, Diana, are lifetime PFI members who farm near Rowley, Iowa, growing corn, soybeans and winter small grains for cover crop seed. In 2014-2015, he and several other PFI member conducted on-farm research investigating whether neonic treatments for soybeans result in higher yields.
• Matt O’Neal is a professor at Iowa State University whose goal is to develop pest management programs that are economically and environmentally sustainable. His lab explores how conservation practices and pesticide use impact the abundance and diversity of beneficial insects.