Marlin E. Rice

Professor; Ph.D., Kansas State University (1987)

Department Position: 75% extension and 25% research

Dr. Rice is responsible for the statewide extension entomology programs for field and forage crops. He seeks to inform Iowa farmers and crop advisors by developing educational programs that are dynamic, responsive to change, and based on current research. He serves as the executive editor of Integrated Crop Management, a 26-issue, full-color newsletter written for the agricultural community. He also coordinates entomology activities at the Field Extension Education Laboratory and teaches a hands-on identification course of crop insects and injury.

His primary research activities are in applied pest management solutions in Iowa's major crops. Current projects focus on using transgenic corn to manage stalk borer, European corn borer, and other Lepidoptera, and biology and management of both bean leaf beetle and bean pod mottle virus. He also has conducted research on biodiversity of Coleoptera, including Cerambycidae and Scarabaeidae, and natural history of Mantispidae. Dr. Rice was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach in the Crop Science Department, University of Zimbabwe, during 1998. He has a strong interest in providing educational and professional opportunities that prepare graduate students for careers in extension entomology.

In 2002, Dr. Rice taught a BIOL 394 class (International Field Trip in Biology-Kenya & Tanzania). Twenty students participated in the class and traveled to east Africa for three weeks. Information on the class and a short movie may be viewed here.

Marlin Rice photographing elephants at Mana Pools, Zimbabwe.

Selected publications:

Rice, M. E. 1996. Insect pests of soybean. University Extension, Iowa State University. IPM-32.

Mason, C. E., M. E. Rice, D. D. Calvin, J. W. Van Duyn, W. B. Showers, W. D. Hutchison, J. F. Witkowski, R. A. Higgins, D. W. Onstad and G. P. Dively. 1996. European corn borer ecology and management. North Central Regional Ext. Publ. No. 327, Iowa State University.

DeGooyer, T. A., L. P. Pedigo, K. L. Giles & M. E. Rice. 1996. Phenology of the alfalfa weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Iowa. J. Agric. Entomol. 13: 41-53.

Pilcher, C. D., J. J. Obrycki, M. E. Rice & L. C. Lewis. 1997. Preimaginal development, survival, and field abundance of insect predators on transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis corn. Environ. Entomol. 26: 446-454.

Pilcher, C. D., M. E. Rice, J. J. Obrycki & L. C. Lewis. 1997. Field and laboratory evaluations of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis corn on secondary Lepidopteran pests (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 90: 669-678.

Baker, T. C., A. Mafra-Neto, T. Dittl & M. E. Rice. 1997. A novel controlled-release device for disrupting sex pheromone communication in moths. Inter. Org. Biol. Control. Bull. 20: 141-149.

Rice, M. E. & K. R. Ostlie. 1997. European corn borer management: An evaluation of perceptions and practices in the agricultural community. J. Production Agric. 10: 628-634.

Rice, M. E. & C. D. Pilcher. 1997. Imported longhorned weevil, Calomycterus setarius, defoliation and damage to soybean in Iowa. J. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 70: 272-280.

Pilcher, C. D. & M. E. Rice. 1998. Management of European corn borer and corn rootworms with transgenic corn: a survey of farmer perceptions. Am. Entomol. 44: 36-44.

Rice, M. E. & C. D. Pilcher. 1998. Potential benefits and limitations of transgenic Bt corn for management of the European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Am. Entomol. 44: 75-78.

Lefko, S. A., L. P. Pedigo, M. E. Rice & W. D. Batchelor. 1998. Wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) incidence and diversity in Iowa conservation reserve environments. Environ. Entomol. 27: 312-317.

Lefko, S. A., L. P. Pedigo, W. D. Batchelor & M. E. Rice. 1998. Spatial modeling of preferred wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) habitat. Environ. Entomol. 27: 184-190.

Simmons, C. L., L. P. Pedigo & M. E. Rice. 1998. Evaluation of seven sampling techniques for wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae). Environ. Entomol. 27: 1062-1068.

DeGooyer, T. A., L. P. Pedigo & M. E. Rice. 1998. Evaluation of grower-oriented sampling techniques and proposal of a management program for potato leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in alfalfa. J. Econ. Entomol. 91: 143-149.

DeGooyer, T. A., L. P. Pedigo & M. E. Rice. 1998. Development of sticky trap sampling technique for potato leafhopper adults. J. Agric. Entomol. 15: 33-37.

DeGooyer, T. A., L. P. Pedigo & M. E. Rice. 1998. Population dynamics and diurnal activity of potato leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in Central Iowa Alfalfa. J. Agric. Entomol. 15: 53-62.

Giles, K. L., J. J. Obrycki, M. E. Rice, L. P. Pedigo, S. K. Barnhart, D. Hogg, T. A. DeGooyer, D. Keeney & J. Munyaneza. 1999. Integrated pest management of alfalfa insects in the upper midwest. University Extension and Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University, Ames. IPM-58.

Lefko, S. A., M. E. Rice & L. P. Pedigo. 1999. Producer perceptions and pest management practices in Iowa alfalfa, emphasizing potato leafhopper-resistant alfalfa. J. Prod. Agric. 12: 257-263.

Steffey, K. L., M. E. Rice, J. All, D. A. Andow, M. E. Gray, and J. W. Van Duyn [eds.]. 1999. Handbook of Corn Insects. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. 

Rice, M. E. 2000. Fried green cicadas and a young African hunter. American Entomologist 46: 6-7.

Rice, M. E., and E. G. Riley. 2000. Biodiversity and rarity of Phyllophaga (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in a temperate hardwood forest. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 93: 277-281

Rice, M. E. 2000. Like a dream full of beetles. American Entomologist 46(2): 77-81.

Lefko, S. A., L. P. Pedigo, and M. E. Rice. 2000. Alfalfa stand-tolerance to potato leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) and its effect on the economic injury level. Agronomy Journal 92: 726-732.

Lefko, S. A., L. P. Pedigo, and M. E. Rice. 2000. Symptoms and growth response of potato leafhopper-tolerant alfalfa to potato leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) feeding. Agronomy Journal 92: 721-725.

Traore, S. B., R. E. Carlson, C. D. Pilcher, and M. E. Rice. 2000. Bt and non-Bt maize growth and development as affected by temperature and drought stress. Agronomy Journal 92: 1027-1035.

Pilcher, C. D., and M. E. Rice. 2001. Effect of planting dates and Bacillus thuringiensis corn on the population dynamics of European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 93: 730-742.

Pilcher, C. D., M. E. Rice, R. A. Higgins, and R. Bowling. 2001. Pollen drift from Bt corn: efficacy against European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in adjacent rows of non-Bt corn. Environmental Entomology 30: 409-414. 

Pilcher, C. D., M. E. Rice, R. A. Higgins, K. L. Steffey, R. L. Hellmich, J. Witkowski, D. Calvin, K. R. Ostlie, and M. Gray. 2002. Biotechnology and the European corn borer: Measuring historical farmer perceptions and adoption of transgenic Bt corn as a pest management strategy. Journal of Economic Entomology 95: 878-892.

Binning, R. R., and M. E. Rice. 2002. Effects of transgenic Bt corn on growth and development of the stalk borer, Papaipema nebris. Journal of Economic Entomology 95: 622-627.

Rice, M. E. 2003. New host plant associations and distribution records for tortoise beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) from southern Africa. Coleopterists Bulletin 57: 79-83.

Pilcher, C. D., and M. E. Rice. 2003. Economic analysis of using planting dates to manage European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) with Bt corn. Journal of Economic Entomology 96: 941-949.

Krell, R. K., T. A. Wilson, L. P. Pedigo, and M. E. Rice. 2003. Characterization of bean leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) flight capacity. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 76: 406-416.

Krell, R. K., L. P. Pedigo, J. H. Hill, and M. E. Rice. 2003. Potential primary inoculum sources of Bean pod mottle virus in Iowa. Plant Disease 87: 1416-1422.

Krell, R. K., L. P. Pedigo, J. H. Hill, and M. E. Rice. 2003. Bean leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) management for reduction of bean pod mottle virus. Journal of Economic Entomology 97:192-202.

Rice, M. E. 2003. Oh beetle, where art thou? American Entomologist 49: 140-141.

Rice, M. E., J. J. Tollefson, and J. Oleson. 2003. Corn rootworm management with YieldGard Rootworm: This changes everything. Proc. 15th Ann. Integrated Crop Mgt. Conf., Iowa State University, Ames. Pg. 75-84.

Rice, M.E. 2004. Transgenic rootworm corn: Assessing potential agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits. Plant Health Progress doi:10.1094/PHP-2004-0301-01-RV.

Rice, M.E., D. Dorhout, and R. Pope. 2004. Eastern movement of the western bean cutworm. Proc. 16th Ann. Integrated Crop Mgt. Conf., Iowa State University, Ames. Pg. 79-84.

Rice, M.E. 2004. The neonicotinoid insecticides-insect management with seed treatments in corn. Proc. 16th Ann. Integrated Crop Mgt. Conf., Iowa State University, Ames. Pg. 85-90.

Pilcher, C. D., M. E. Rice, and J. J. Obrycki. 2005. Impact of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis corn and crop phenology on five non-target arthropods. Environmental Entomology 34: 1302-1316.

Bitzer, R. J., M. E. Rice, C. D. Pilcher, C. L. Pilcher, and W. F. Lam. 2005. Biodiversity and community structure of epedaphic and euedaphic springtails (Collembola) in transgenic rootworm Bt corn. Environmental Entomology 34: 1346-1376.

Wilson, T. A., M. E. Rice, J. J. Tollefson, and C. D. Pilcher. 2005. Transgenic corn for control of the European corn borer and corn rootworms: A survey of Midwestern farmer practices and perceptions.Ê Journal of Economic Entomology 98: 237-247.

Krell, R. R., L. P. Pedigo, M. E. Rice, M. E. Westgate, and J. H. Hill. 2005. Using planting date to manage bean pod mottle virus in soybean. Crop Protection 24: 909-914.