Private greenspaces adjacent to residential homes represent habitat that could be used to promote the conservation of species and ecosystem health. However, many practices work counteractive to this goal. Even though the research community has documented the negative effects of traditional lawn management and outreach works to promote alternative practices, the suburban and urban lawn continues to grow, with estimates as high...

Sustainable agricultural management practices aimed at improving soil health can alter the soil microbiome, which can influence plant health and defenses against insects. The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is a major belowground pest of corn. Pest management relies heavily on the planting of transgenic crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ) toxins. In this study, we ask how corn-WC...

Evolution of resistance to transgenic crops producing toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) threatens the sustainability of the technology. Examination of resistance mechanisms has largely focused on characterization of mutations in proteins serving as Bt toxin binding sites. However, insect microbial communities have the potential to provide host resistance to pesticides in a myriad of ways. Previous findings suggest the ki...