Foliar Sprays to Control Fall Armyworm in Field Corn, 1980

‘Pioneer 3320’ field corn was planted, 10-in spacing in 3 ft rows, on Jul 31. Treatment plots were replicated 4 times and arranged in a randomized block design. Each plot consisted of a 25-ft long row with an untreated row adjacent to each treatment plot. Treatments were Initiated on Aug 15 at which time the plants were 2-3 in high. Additional applications were made on Aug 21 & 29 but terminated after that time due to severe lodging which made spraying impossible. Insecticidal performance was determined by counting the number of fall army-worms/10 plants per plot on Sep 6 and also by counting the number of plants/20 with severe whorl injury on this same date. This experiment was designed primarily to check the performance of a number of insecticides under intense fall armyworm stress. Each fall, shortly after Aug 1, fall armyworm infestations become so severe in Tidewater Virginia that it is simply impossible to control them. Often the armyworms get a head start before they are noticed but in this particular case the corn was treated shortly after plant emergence. The first application was made on many newly hatched or emerging 1st instar armyworms.