Welcome back to PCT Shorts, I’m Jonah Johnson – so the question of today is, is black cutworm going to be a problem for Ohio corn growers this year?

So if we monitor a lot of the trapping networks that the universities, such as Purdue, University of Kentucky and Ohio State University have established this year, we’ve noted that there has been an increase in the brood that has been brought up into the northern part of the US.

Adult black cutworm moth

So this insect is not overwinter in Ohio, has to be brought up by the strong winds that we’ve experienced back in April from the south and southwest. Now questions have been asked. We’ve had an awful lot of winds that have moved directly from the north to the south. How can this past still be an issue? So that pest did get moved up here.

The Ohio State network trap has actually shown some moth captures in northern Ohio. So this is something I just want you guys to be aware of and black cutworm could be a problem for Ohio corn growers this year. So if you notice, like in the field behind me here, we had some dense chickweed and overwintering annuals that is very attractive for these moths to come and lay their eggs into.

And so with knowing that we have the potential in the neighborhood and late planting and some some young corn that will be emerging if it hasn’t planted or is to be planted just to keep an eyeball on for this pest, now this pest when the larvae hatches it can cut plants once it gets to those larvae that are in that fourth instar, when that three quarters of an inch long, that’s when they’re quite ravenous when they get bigger and at the typically want to pupate and they’re not as much of a problem.

Black cutworm

Black cutworm larvae with cut corn plant

Now some traits in the corn seeds such as the the stalk boring genetic trait packages can help deter feeding and protect against that. But when you have an escalated number we still get can get plants that can be cut. Now insecticides can be useful for this, but the problem is, is that the residuals are quite short on that.

So for more information on this topic, feel free to inquire here. Watch the video.