Search Results for: corn borer

Sweet Corn

Attention sweet corn growers!  Please take a few moments to complete this survey.  Rutgers IPM personnel expect to participate in grant funded research guided by grower responses.  See the brief description below. Thank you for your help!

Corn Earworm Management in Sweet Corn Needs Assessment Survey

Dr. Kelly Hamby, Associate Professor/Extension Specialist with the Department of Entomology at University of Maryland, is leading a team of researchers, including Rutgers IPM staff, who have developed a survey to prioritize research and extension efforts for improving corn earworm management in sweet corn throughout the Northeast. We appreciate your participation in this survey and will use results to develop a grant proposal to try to get federal funding to address these needs.

Survey link: https://ume.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9vRh1xHnDp4KEaa

Low numbers of European corn borer (ECB) moths continue to be captured in parts of the state.  Cool temperatures over the past weekend have likely suppressed activity, and warmer weather in the upcoming week may trigger a modest rebound.  The highest adult activity is currently around the Atlantic-Camden County border (see map at right).  Whorl corn is the primary target for egg laying, and injury as high as 16% of plants infested has been found up to northern Monmouth County this week.  Feeding levels should rise over the next 3 weeks.

Look for the characteristic “shot-hole” type of feeding (photo below at right) 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 (see photo at left).  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 or Vantacor (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 6/02/21 are as follows:

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Sweet Corn

European corn borer (ECB) moths are now being captured in parts of the state.  As yet, numbers are low, and the next 7-10 days will likely tell whether this flight will be of any significant size.  Current “hot spots” are around Salem County and southern Hunterdon into Mercer and Ocean counties (see map at right).  Whorl corn is the primary target for egg laying, but as yet, scouts have reported no signs of feeding injury.  We expect to encounter feeding over the next week.  .

Look for the characteristic “shot-hole” type of feeding (photo below at right) 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 (see photo at left).  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 or Vantacor (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 5/26/21 are as follows:

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Sweet Corn

The black light trap network in New Jersey is now operational.  To date, one corn earworm (CEW) at Green Creek (Cape May County), and several European corn borer (ECB) moths have been captured.  As numbers increase, look for population maps of ECB, CEW, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) and CEW catches from pheromone traps in this weekly publication.  The resulting full-state maps will include interpretive information.

The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 5/19/21 are as follows:

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Sweet Corn

IPM Program personnel have re-established the black light trap network in New Jersey.  With very cool evening temperatures, no corn earworm (CEW) and very few European corn borer (ECB) moths have been captured.  As numbers increase, look for population maps of ECB, CEW, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) and CEW catches from pheromone traps in this weekly publication.  The resulting full-state maps will include interpretive information.

The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 5/12/21 are as follows:

Jones Island   1

Milltown   1

Woodstown   1

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Sweet Corn

IPM Program personnel are currently finishing deployment of the black light trap network in New Jersey.  At present, we are approximately 80% operational and will begin to monitor traps by the end of this week.  We do not anticipate corn earworm (CEW) or  European corn borer (ECB) moths for some time yet, but as numbers increase, look for population maps of ECB, CEW, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) and CEW catches from pheromone traps in this weekly publication.  The resulting full-state maps will include interpretive information.

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Sweet Corn

European corn borer (ECB) adults continue to be very low, and no map will appear in this edition.

Fall armyworm (FAW) larval infestations are at fairly low levels.  Infestations generally are in the single digits to below 20%, and with few plantings in the whorl stage at this point in the season, FAW shouldn’t become a widespread economic problem.  However, growers should be alert to the possibility of infestations on the last of their late plantings.   Injury from newly hatched larvae shows up as “window panes” or areas where leaf tissue has been eaten down the the lower epidermis. This injury leads down into the whorl.  As larvae gain size, they begin to consume leaf tissue in its’ entirety, creating ragged holes and lots of droppings.  FAW can be tough to manage because it is resistant to synthetic pyrethroid insecticides (IRAC 3A) and because larvae are often covered by their own droppings, making contact with the insecticide more difficult.  Treat when 12% or more plants exhibit FAW injury alone, or in combination with ECB injury.

Corn earworm (CEW) moth captures have decreased slightly over the past week.  This is likely due to several nights with temperatures dropping into the low 60s and even 50s F.  The decline is representative of lower adult activity, and growers should consider this pest to still be at moderately high population levels in the state.     The current population poses a significant risk to silking corn.  The reduction in CEW catch was not enough to substantially change this weeks map from last week (see map at left).  Green areas on this map representing a 3-day spray schedule.  For further information on CEW activity, see pheromone trap information below.

The highest nightly trap catches of CEW in black light traps for the week ending 9/09/20 are as follows:

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