Sweet Corn Pheromone Trap Network for Western New York, 2004

This is a seasonal scouting report giving growers in the Western New York area information on the presence of sweet corn pests and recommendations on scouting and thresholds. The report is written by Abby Seaman, NYS IPM's Area Extension Educator for Vegetables.

For 6/8/04

ECB moths are being caught in high numbers in Hall and Farmington this week, catches at other locations are at moderate levels. At a field started under plastic this morning, new corn borer egg masses were very easy to find. The tassels were just beginning to emerge from the whorl.

Split field demonstrations have shown that applying insecticides to corn for worm control before tassel emergence does not produce better results than waiting until the usual tassel-emergence timing. Corn started under plastic or row cover is an exception to this rule.

Fields started under plastic or row cover will be most attractive to egg-laying moths because the plants are larger than those in bare ground fields. We have found that using the usual tassel emergence scouting and thresholds for plastic or row cover corn doesn't work well. John Mishanec has had good results in trials in which pheromone trap catches were used to time sprays in row cover or plastic corn. Growers waited until there was a significant increase in the ECB trap catches in their area and then timed sprays to coincide with egg hatch. ECB eggs require 100 degree days (base 50) from oviposition to hatch.

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