Black Cutworm Control in Field Corn ii, 1985

Abstract

Abstract ‘Pioneer 3747’ field corn was planted in a sandy loam soil on 13 Sep at the Mobay Research Farm, Howe, IN. Plots measured 1 row × 15 ft with 4 replications in a completely randomized block design. Granular treatments were applied at planting to the soil in a 7-inch band using a Noble metering unit mounted on a bicycle applicator with no incorporation. Liquid applications were sprayed either at planting or as a rescue treatment a few hours after infestation, using a CO2 pressurized hand boom sprayer with 8002E flat fan tips at 20 psi and 20 gpa. Enclosures measuring 1 ft × 3 ft × 7 inches were randomly placed in each plot and corn populations within each enclosure were thinned to 10 plants. On 20 Sep, when the corn plants were in cotyledon stage, all plots were infested with 15 late third/early fourth stage laboratory reared black cutworm (BCW) larvae. Percent damaged and cut plants were determined 5 days post infestation by daily monitoring of each enclosure. A plant was considered cut if it was severed at or below the cotyledon. Plants were classified as damaged if cut or if other evidence of feeding was apparent.