Harnessing Microbes for Crop Production: TS201 Enhances Maize Yield and Reduces Corn Rootworm Damage

Microbial technologies are increasingly adopted to improve sustainable agriculture amid escalating economic, regulatory, and ecological pressures, yet few, if any, are supported by mechanistic understanding and are translated to products with demonstrated real-world performance and adoption. Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) are known to promote plant growth and enhance pathogen resistance, but their impact on insect defense remains largely unexplored. Here we report on a PPFM species, Methylorubrum extorquens strain NLS0042, developed as TS201, a U.S. EPA–registered bioinsecticide that mitigates maize pest damage and improves yield. Across seven years (2016–2022) of field trials at 22 U.S. Midwest locations, TS201 increased maize yield by 220 kg/ha under moderate to high pressure of corn rootworms, the most destructive insect pest complex of maize in North America. Additionally, TS201 improved root architecture and reduced plant lodging. Large-scale on-farm evaluations across 81 sites in eight U.S. states (2023–2024) validated its agronomic benefit under diverse production conditions. Transcriptomic and volatile metabolite analyses revealed that TS201 induces anthranilate biosynthesis and accumulation of methyl anthranilate, a volatile compound that repels western corn rootworm larvae. Insect choice assays demonstrated significant larval avoidance of TS201-treated roots and confirmed the repellent effect of methyl anthranilate on corn rootworm larvae. These findings demonstrate that TS201 primes maize defense through multiple modes of action, offering a novel and effective microbial strategy to enhance crop resilience and support sustainable pest management.