Corn and Soybean Intercropping System for Sustainable Insect Pest Management
Research initiative investigating intercropping corn and soybean to reduce insect pest pressure, enhance biodiversity, and improve resource utilization. The project seeks to establish integrated pest management protocols for scalable adoption across 100+ acre fields currently planted with corn monoculture for silage.
Overview
This research initiative addresses sustainable agricultural practices by investigating the impact of intercropping corn and soybean on insect pest pressure. The project explores how cultivating two crops together in the same field can improve resource utilization, enhance biodiversity, and contribute to pest management. By comparing pest dynamics in intercropping versus monoculture systems, the research aims to develop evidence-based integrated pest management (IPM) protocols that can be scaled to commercial-scale operations of 100+ acres currently planted with corn monoculture for silage production.
Technical specifications
The research program employs multiple entomological and statistical methods:
- Insect sampling conducted at predefined intervals throughout the crop season in both monoculture and intercropping plots
- Shannon-Weiner Species Diversity Index applied to characterize insect species diversity within the farming system
- Multiple scouting methods used to identify pests and diseases affecting crops across the two planting systems
- Statistical analysis with pairwise comparisons to quantify variation in pest pressure between treatments
- Economic injury level thresholds established to guide treatment decisions based on pest abundance
- IPM tactics evaluation to identify optimal pest management tools suitable for the system, including after scaling beyond experimental plots
The initiative also involves collaboration with plant breeders to develop seeds compatible with existing planter equipment, requiring only row alternation modifications between soybean and corn. Ag-machinery partnerships are pursued to tailor equipment for planting, pest management, and silage-stage harvesting.
Technology readiness level
The project is at an early research stage, with field trials planned for years one and two at the Minnesota Agriculture Experiment Station. The research team includes entomologists with expertise in integrated pest management and working knowledge of plant breeding. Validation activities include insect sampling protocols, diversity indexing, scouting methodology comparison, and threshold establishment for treatment decisions. The ultimate goal is to develop scalable pest management solutions that can be adopted beyond experimental plot acreage into commercial farming operations.
About University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota is a flagship, comprehensive public research university spanning multiple campuses, with a large research enterprise and clinical integration. Industry engages through co-located labs on the Twin Cities campuses, access to an academic health system for clinical translation, and pilot and field-testing facilities that speed scale-up. A statewide extension network and outreach centers provide real-world sites and data partnerships across Minnesota, while proximity to a dense medtech and Fortune 500 corridor enables frequent collaboration. Research is supported by competitive federal funding, including NIH, NSF, DOE, USDA, and DoD. A dedicated technology transfer office manages IP, licensing, sponsored research agreements, and startup incubation to speed commercialization.
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