Seedcorn Maggot Control, 1995

Abstract

Abstract Seed treatments and planting-time insecticides were tested in a loam soil at Ames, IA. The experimental design was a RCB with 4 replications. Treatments were applied to 20-ft length rows with 30-inch row spacing. To attract ovipositing flies, a meat-and-bone meal bait was applied to shallow, hand-made furrows. A twenty-foot section of 1.5-inch angle iron was filled with meat-and-bone meal and then leveled, leaving a small amount of bait (ca. 0.33 oz per row-ft) evenly distributed in the bottom of the angle iron. The angle iron was positioned directly above the open seed furrow and inverted. Bait was placed in furrows 24 Apr and corn seeds were hand planted (8-inch seed spacing) directly into the bait on 28 Apr. Granular insecticide treatments were applied with modified Noble metering units mounted on a small-plot bicycle applicator. Seeds were covered with soil and the soil firmed by hand. On 24 May, stand counts were taken from 14.6 ft of row and the seeds/seedlings from two, 1-m sections of row were inspected for seedcorn maggot feeding and rated on the following 1-4 damage scale: (1) seed/seedling undamaged, (2) seed/ seedling damaged, but plant established, (3) seed/seedling damaged, plant showing some signs of stress, (4) seed/seedling damaged, no plant or questionable establishment. On 26 May, 1 adult emergence trap was placed over each row that had received a granular insecticide treatment. Seed-treatment rows were excluded from the adult emergence analysis. The galvanized steel trap, a rectangular bottomless box, had the following dimensions: length 1.0 m, width 0.2 m, and height 0.1 m. Fastened to the top of each trap were two 0.25-liter Mason jars with Tack Trap® applied to the inside bottom. On 6 Jun, the number of seedcorn maggot adults were counted in the collections jars.