Sweet Corn
There have been very modest increases in European corn borer (ECB) moth captures this past week. Most measurable catches occurred in central and northwestern Burlington County (see ECB map at left). These individuals represent a second flight. The next 2 weeks will give us an indication of how significant this flight will be. In recent years, the second and later flights have been very low. New feeding should appear within 2 weeks, but may be obscured by fall armyworm (FAW) feeding by that time.
Growers should continue to scout whorl and pre-tassel stage plantings weekly and consider treating when infested plants exceed 12% in a 50 plant sample. As plantings proceed to the pre-tassel stage, ECB larvae may be found in emerging tassels. It is a good idea to treat individual plantings as they move into the full tassel/first silk stage one time. This eliminates any ECB larvae that have emerged with the tassels as they begin to move down the stalk to re-enter near developing ears.
Useful insecticides for this particular application include synthetic pyrethroids (IRAC Grp 3), spinosyns (including OMRI approved Entrust) IRAC Grp 5), and diamides such as Coragen (IRAC Grp 28) or materials such as Besiege which include the active ingredient in Coragen. Synthetic pyrethroids alone should NOT be used for corn earworm (CEW) protection on silking corn. Control with these materials is very inconsistent.
The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 7/17/19 are as follows:
Califon 1 | Folsom 1 | Milltown 1 |
Cinnaminson 1 | Green Creek 1 | Sergeantsville 1 |
Crosswicks 1 | Hillsborough 1 | |
Dayton 1 | Medford 1 |