Sweet Corn
A few European corn borer (ECB) moths were captured this past week, but numbers are very low, and no map will appear in this edition. It is unclear at this stage if these individuals represent the onset of a second flight. Catches over the upcoming week will clarify the situation with this pest. No new feeding should occur until the second flight arrives.
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 7/03/19 are as follows:
Denville 1 |
Flanders 1 |
Milltown 1 |
Monroeville 1 |