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Debugging the Monsanto corn issue

This picture of severe rootworm damage was taken in September in a corn field in north-central Illinois.
Photo courtesy University of Illinois
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Read more: http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1569
This picture of severe rootworm damage was taken in September in a corn field in north-central Illinois.

This week: Rootworm is causing a headache for some farmers who thought they already had a fix for that problem. Plus, a university of Missouri study takes a look at the impact economic strains have on middle class families.

Rootworm and corn don’t go together, as farmers know all too well. That’s why it was big news last month when an Environmental Protection Agency report found that genetically modified corn from Monsanto might be losing effectiveness in battling the unwanted pest. Whether their crops have suffered or not, corn growers across the Midwest are weighing the significance of the EPA's concerns. Harvest Public Media’sClay Masters reports.

Nearly half of Americans say they have encountered financial problems in the past year, according to the Pew research Center. Recently, an MU researcher studied the impact of that economic strain on average middle class families. He and his colleagues found out that financial problems affect both the parents relationships with their kids, and also the children themselves. KBIA’s Camille Maestracci spoke with MU Professor of Diversity Gustavo Carlo, with the Department of Human development and Family studies. 

Ryan served as the KBIA News Director from February 2011 to September 2023