Evaluation of Foliar Materials to Control Lepidopterous Larvae on Sweet Corn, 1997

Sweet corn was planted on 30 May at the Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Painter, VA. Each plot consisted of a single 25-ft-long row, which was flanked by untreated guard rows, all separated by 3 ft space. There were 9 treatments plus an untreated check arranged in a RCB design with six replications. Two of the treatments were applied on a 5-6 d schedule (18, 25, and 31 Jul), whereas the remainder were applied on a 3-4-d schedule (18, 21, 25, 28, and 31 Jul). Materials were applied with a propane-powered backpack sprayer equipped with a single, hollow-cone nozzle/row calibrated to deliver 41 gal of spray/acre of 40 psi. Sprays were directed at the ears and were initiated when corn was in full silk. On 4 Aug, 15 ripe ears were taken from each plot and rated for damage as follows: fresh market (no damage), processing (no damage + damage only within 1.5 inches from the tip), cull (any damage between the base and 1.5 inches from the tip). The total numbers of live larvae of each species/15 ears were also counted.