So your corn is planted and seems to be thriving but you still need to watch out for insects. The three main creatures that threaten to eat your corn crop earworms, cutworms, and seed maggots. Protecting against insects will require you to frequently check your corn crop.
Corn earworms are bugs that you will need to watch out for the most. They typically like sweet corn and are a threat every growing season. Moths fly in and deposit eggs on the leaves close to the ears and they grow into little earworms. The worms tend to feed on the tip of the ear. The crop is ruined once the corn becomes infected.
However, there are certain measures that you can do to protect your corn crop. For starters, to stop the earworms from entering the tip of the corn husk, you can wrap a rubber band around the tip of the ear or attach a clothespin to the corn after the corn silk appears. This method will help minimize the damage earworms will do to your corn.
Secondly, you can protect your corn plants by spraying an insecticide called BT or Bacilulus Thuringiensis that contains a particular bacterium which will affect and attack only the larvae of the corn invader. This chemical spray will ensure all pest and insects are destroyed and killed. When using chemical sprays, make sure you consult the store you bought it from to ensure that you use the right amount as to not poison the crop and keep it safe for human consumption.
Some other pests such as cutworms, stalk borers and stink bugs that can destroy the corn stands as well even if you used a soil insecticide is used while planting. Many of these bugs can start killing your seeds and stalks during the first month. During this phase of corn growth, its especially important to keep a watchful eye out on your crop. The seed corn maggot can also devastate your corn plant and in order to protect the germinating seeds and seedlings from this pest, a seed treatment must be used. Sampling of the soil for wire worms and white grubs must be administered supplemented with random digging of the soil with a shovel.
When you plant corn seeds, a seed insecticide must be sprayed to prevent infection from black cutworms and other bugs. Once bugs have polluted your crop, there is little you can undertake to save the corn. In many cases, you simply can’t. You don’t want all your efforts destroyed from bugs so make sure you spray and keep a watchful eye on your crop. You want your corn to grow to full maturity and you want all of it to do so so make sure you follow the tips and suggestions above and watch out for insects.
Matthew Kepnes has been growing corn for a number of years and loves to eat corn roasted in the husk after it has been freshly picked. You can find more tips on growing good corn on your farm and about the different types of corn you can grow at his website on the subject.
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Tags: pest control, Pest Rule, Protection
