Field Corn, European Corn Borer Control, 1980

Foliar treatments of registered and experimental insecticides to control first generation European corn borer were evaluated at the south farm of the University of Illinois (Champaign County). Corn (B73 x M017) was planted in 30 In rows on May 28. Each plant in the study was artificially infested with approximately 35 freshly hatched larvae on July 9 and again on July 11. Mean extended leaf height of these plants at infestation was 54 in. Insecticides were applied on July 18, just as larvae were beginning to tunnel into the plants (mean extended leaf height = 65 in). Liquid insecticides were applied directly over the whorls with a CO2 back pack sprayer (even flat fan nozzle, 3 mph, 20 psi, 10 gal of water/ acre). Granular insecticides were applied to the whorls of each plant with a shaker can (number of holes was calibrated for each insecticide). Each treatment consisted of a single row containing 25 plants with 4 replicates in a randomized complete block design. Untreated rows (no larvae and no insecticide treatment) bounded each treatment row. Insecticide treatments were evaluated for corn borer damage (number and length of cavities) in late August by spliting the stalks of 40 plants from each treatment (10 plants/treatment x 4 reps) in half from the tassel to the ground. No phytotoxicity was observed with any of the banded compounds.