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Project Leader(s): Alan Erb,
Vegetable specialist, CCE Lake Plains Vegetable Program, East Aurora,
NY 14052
Abby Seaman, NYS IPM Program Office,
NYSAES, Geneva, NY 14456
Cooperator(s): Don Sweet, Crop
Advantage (Vegetable IPM Consultant)
Jim Coulter, Coulter Farms, Niagara
County, Lockport, NY
Paul Freatman, Freatman Farms, Niagara
County, Lockport, NY
Bill Henry, W.D. Henry and Sons Farms,
Erie County, Eden, NY
Bill Agle, Henry Agle and Sons Farms,
Erie County, Eden, NY
Jeff Partyka, Partyka Farms, Orleans
County, Kendall, NY
Jeff Werner, Werner Farms, Monroe County,
Rush, NY
Type of grant: Systems
comparison trials
Project location(s): Niagara
County, Coulter Farms and Freatman Farms in Lockport, NY
Erie County, W.D. Henry and Sons Farms
and Henry Agle and Sons Farms in Eden, NY
Orleans County, Partyka Farms in Kendall,
NY
Monroe County, Werner Farms in Rush,
NY
Abstract: Recent research has
identified the use of Trichogramma ostriniae as a biological
control for European corn borer (ECB). However, this technique has not
been widely tested in commercial field situations. Adoption of this
control method will have a better chance of wide scale acceptance if
commercial sweet corn growers can experience the advantages of this
practice first hand. Trichogramma wasps were released in four
fresh market sweet corn fields in Western, NY and how well they controlled
ECB was compared to three fields where traditional insecticides were
used for control. In each of the wasp released fields Trichogramma
had an effect on ECB infestation however insecticides had to be used
in three fields because ECB had already become established in the field
before the wasps were released. Only one of the wasp treated fields
was sprayed three times to help control the level of ECB in the field.
In all cases except one the amount of marketable ears harvested from
the wasp treated fields was equal or higher than the chemical control
treated fields. During years when ECB pressure is lowTrichogramma
releases have the potential to be a more economical and environmental
way to produce fresh market sweet corn. The use of Trichogramma as
a biological control of ECB on plastic fresh market sweet corn and early
bare-ground sweet corn needs to be further field tested during years
when ECB pressure is high and wasps are released into the field when
the corn is younger than 2 weeks before tassel emergence.
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