026-Lancaster Fanning Saturday, June 1,1985 NEW YORK - Will European corn borers strike corn fields this year? According to Bill Pagano, product manager for Stauffer Chemical Company, springtime weather wilj be the key in deter mining the answer. Weather conditions in late May and early June play a very important role in borer infestations, he says. Corn borers caused heavy damage in much of the Corn Belt last year, Pagano notes, and large overwintering populations mean there’s good potential for more of the same this season. But by watching the weather, scouting fields throughout June and into July, and treating with an insecticide if necessary, com producers can prevent this destructive insect from chewing into profits, he adds. Losses from the corn borer come in many forms. Poor ear development, broken stalks and dropped ears all add up to a reduction in yield. Yield losses can be extremely high during severe infestations, especially if damage begins just before the tassel emerges. University research has shown that each com borer established in the stalk can take from five to 10 percent of the yield potential. Some University studies in the Midwest showed that untreated acres suffered losses of up to $4O an acre.* To prevent such yield reduc tions, start watching weather now, when borers are beginning to mate. Mild weather will warm nights is the perfect situation for a large infestation to occur. On the other hand, beating rams can destroy the moths. Or if it’s too cool at mght, the moths won’t fly to lay their eggs. Besides weather, early planting dates can affect the size of a European com borer population. Fields planted early provide favorable conditions for egg-laying moths and can result in heavy infestations. No matter when you plant, don’t depend on planting-time treat ments for corn borer control, Pagano notes. Despite some manufacturers’ claims, these treatments will provide only slight SANDBLASTING AND SPRAY PAINTING Equipment Farm Buildings \ Feed Mills > v \ Commercial- Industrial Repointing Interior/Exterior HENRY K. FISHER INC. 667 Hartman Station Rd. Lancaster, PA Dealing with European corn borers suppression ot tirst-broad borers “Other factors involved in the size of a borer population include winter weather and type of tillage involved in corn production,” Pagano points out. “A mild winter, like last year’s, and the fact that more people are turning toward conservation tillage, indicate potential for sizable com borer problems occuring in 1985.” European com borers over winter as larvae in com stalks, cobs and plant debris on the soil surface. Therefore, more com borers may survive in the un plowed stalks of a conservation tillage system than in stalks that are plowed under. The size of a borer population can also be affected by the previous year’s outbreak. “When an infestation is high like the one last year, a large overwintering population may result,” Pagano says. “And with this comes the possibility of a heavy infestation the following season. ’ ’ Scouting in June and July is another important step for preventing corn borer damage. For first brood European com borers, several observations should be made after the moths begin to fly. Eggs are laid in masses of 15 to 30 on the undersides of leaves. Early feeding appears as “shot holes” in leaves as they grow out of the whorl. Midribs of leaves may break as a result of tunneling. When 50 percent of plants show feeding, treatment is recom We Salute The Dairy Farm Families, A Vital Part Of M M.H. EBY, INC. M Box 127, Blue Ball, PA 17506 717-354-4071 mended, Pagano says. “An over-the-top application with a granula herbicide, is worth approximately five bushels of com per acre, including application,” Pagano reports. “But bushels lost due to the corn borer can easily NEWARK, DE Farmers who grow vegetables on plastic with drip irrigation should not only irrigate the crop, but also maintain adequate moisture conditions under the plastic, says University of Delaware extension vegetable specialist Ed Kee. Once the san dier soils of Delmarva become dry, it’s very difficult to reestablish and maintain soil moisture. With most cucurbit crops, the better the vegetative growth, the better the yield potential because there are more opportunities for flowers, and the increased leaf area supports a larger crop, the specialist says. So it pays to irrigate during dry periods while plants are still in the juvenile stage. Irrigation also improves the survival rates of transplants. For most crops the need for water is most critical during flowering, fruit or pod set, and fruit or pod enlargement. However, says Kee, many crops show yield responses to earlier irrigation. He recommends growers use Our Riskless Irrigating vegetable crops ALUMINUM GOOSENECK TRAILERS 20* Gooseneck Trailer A versatile, lightweight, Eby aluminum stock trailer is built to provide years of maintenance free service. An Eby trailer is custom built to fit your individual hauling needs - No mass production! We use only quality components and strong alloy aluminum to manufacture what may be the last trailer you’ll ever buy. • LIGHTWEIGHT - • MAINTENANCE - Eby aluminum trailers won’t rust. Welding and painting can cost you dollars in down time and repairs. • DURABILITY - exceed that amount in most corn producing states.” However, Pagano says, it is important to treat com before borers invade the stalk. ‘‘lf you treat too late, then you won’t see the economic return from it,” he tensiometers set at depths of 8 and 18 inches to aid in making irrigation decisions. A tensiometer measures soil moisture tension, indicating the percentage of moisture that is available to the crop. Research on a wide range of vegetables has shown that there is a positive response when soil moisture is not allowed to become depleted by more than 50 percent before irrigating. “Growers must weigh the costs involved in turning on a system NEWARK, DE - Gram farmers who would like to learn more about how to use agricultural options as a marketing tool can obtain useful information from a new extension fact sheet, “Selecting and Using Agricultural Options," published by the Delaware Cooperative Extension Service. The three-page fact sheet con tains a brief description of agricultural options, tells how to determine when it will pay to use Eby stock trailers are 25-35% lighter than comparable steel trailers. Less weight means better fuel mileage or increased pay load. Eby trailers are built tough. Quality com-, ponents and 6061 alloy aluminum provide the ruggedness required in a livestock trailer. says, Granular insecticides work best because they collect in the whorls of com plants, where corn borer larvae enter the stalk. Because sprays don’t collect in the whorls, they have a shorter time period of effectiveness. and operating it, versus the potential for yield increase at any particular point in the season,” Kee says. “Sometimes it may not be as critical to irrigate. But it’s a mistake to wait too long. “Of all the factors which can adversely affect vegetable yields on Delmarva, water-or lack of it is the most important,” he con cludes. “Keeping on top of and ahead of soil moistrue conditions can pay off by the season’s end.” Options trading one, and discusses the pros and cons of buying put options and selling gram on the futures market. There is also a glossary of economic terms growers need to understand when trading agricultural options. To obtain a copy of this fact sheet, contact extension crops marketing specialist Carl German, Townsend Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19717-1303 (302-451-2511).
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers