Corn pestsappear during the growing season, feed on plants, weaken them and consequently reduce the yield. See how to identifysymptoms of maize pests , as well asways to control maize pestsin gardens and allotments. We recommend the bestcorn pest spraying !
Echinacea, a dangerous pest of maize
Fig. Agronomist (CC BY-SA 3.0), © entomart (www.entomart.be), Keith Weller (Public Domain), Wikimedia Commons
Prowianka omacnica
A dangerous pest of maize is the European corn borer(Ostrinia nubilalis). Grapefruit damages all above-ground parts of plants: shoots, leaves, and cob buds. As a result of its foraging , corn stalks break and paniclesdry up, which shortens the period of corn pollination, and consequently leads to a deterioration of the quality of the crop. Caterpillars are hidden in harvest residues, which is why it is so important to remove them from the field. Caterpillars in May yarn cocoons and pupate, flying out in June. Female moths lay their eggs in July.
Right after hatching, the caterpillars switch to the fresh stigmas of the cobs and gnaw them. Then they bite down to the stems.Echinacea, feeding in the leaves of the cobs, causes them to turn white and dry upIf we observe that the cobs hang on the corn and then fall off, the final symptomsymptom of the presence of the corn cobs whose caterpillars gnawed the butts at the base.
The most effectivepreparation for combating European corn boreris Karate Zeon 050 CS. We use this agent at a dose of 2 ml / 100m². We reach for it when the first symptoms of occurrence are noticed, as well as preventively from the beginning of the panicle appearance to the stage when the top of the corn panicle is visible.
Corn aphids
Anotherpests of maize are aphidsThe aphids that attack maize are most often the corn-grain aphid and the rose-grass aphid. Aphids suck the sap from maize, weaken its growth, and most importantly, they transmit dangerous viruses, causing viral diseases, such as yellow barley dwarfism on maize.
To combat aphids on cornit is worth using ready-made preparations based on natural ingredients or decoctions from plants that we prepare ourselves. If we grow a small amount of maize for the so-called own needs, resorting to ecological spraying is the best solution.
Aphids are easily combated with onion or garlic extractTo prepare an onion extract, take 200g of onion husks, pour 10 liters of water, and after 3-4 days strain it and get the ready preparation.
To prepare the garlic extract, we need 250g of ground garlic heads, pour 10l of water and mix it several times. After 15 minutes, drain the liquid.Ecological spraying of cornis done after diluting it with water in the ratio 1: 1.
Aphids on corn
Fig. pixabay.com
If we cannot obtain herbal raw materialto combat aphids on maizeor we simply lack time to prepare extracts, it is worth reaching for spray preparations available in stores, e.g. Agrocover or Emulpar 940 EC.
Agriculture and wireworms
If we observe thatmaize grows slower, withers, breaks off , these symptoms may indicate the presence of agriculture in the substrate. Farmers are corn peststhat feed on the roots, roots and leaves. At night, they go out to feed on the above-ground parts of plants. They eat irregular holes in the leaves, additionally contaminating them with droppings. Foraging in the soil, they nibble at the roots, causing the plants to wilt, turn yellow and dry out.
In turncorn pests damaging its underground parts are wirewormswireworms, nibbling at the roots of seedlings, causing them to wilt. They are beetle larvae, with an elongated body covered with a hard, chitinous shell. Therefore, to reduce the occurrence of these maize pests, it is so important to deep plow and loosen the soil.
How to prevent corn pests?
In the cultivation of maize on the plot, consider rules that will help reduce the occurrence of pests. The key isa correctly selected variety that will be resistant to pests , e.g. 'Gucio F1' maize, but it is also worth taking into account:
- Avoid growing maize after maize , best to grow maize in the same field no more than every 4 years,
- Perform autumn deep plowing,remove weeds and crop debris from fields , which are the source of corn pests. In this way, we will limit, among others the occurrence of the European cornflower.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
