Field Corn, European Corn Borer Control, 1982

Foliar treatments of registered and experimental insecticides to control first generation European corn borer were evaluated at the Agronomy South Farm of the University of Illinois (Champaign Co). Corn (Pioneer 3780) was planted in 30-in rows on May 14. Each plant in the study was artificially infested with approximately 30 newly-hatched larvae on Jun 22 and again on Jun 23 and 24. Mean extended leaf height of these plants on Jun 24 was 46 in. Insecticides were applied on Jun 30, just as larvae were beginning to tunnel into the plants. Liquid insecticides were applied directly over the plant whorls with a CO2back-pack sprayer equipped with a 1 nozzle wand (even flat fan nozzle, 4.0 ft/sec, 20 psi , 0.14 gal/min, 10 gal of water/acre). Granular insecticides were applied in a 7-in band directly over the plant whorls with Noble metering units mounted on a tractor. Each treatment consisted of a single row 25 ft long. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications/treatment. Uninfested rows bounded each treatment row; plants in these border rows were cut down 1 day prior to insecticide application to allow access of the granular applicator. Insecticide treatments were evaluated for corn borer damage (number of cavities) in late-Jul by splitting the stalks of 40 plants from each treatment (10 plants/treatment x 4 reps) in half from the tassel to the ground.