Is Preventative Black Cutworm Control Worth It?
By Erin Hodgson, Department of Entomology Many growers are getting their corn planted ahead of schedule and thinking about making the first weed control application. Some might think tank-mixing a preventative insecticide with a herbicide will save money and protect yield from early season corn pests such as cutworm and grubs. Black cutworms are only an occasional corn pest in Iowa, but this insect still deserves attention due to its potential to cause economic loss. Currently seed treatments and genetically modified hybrids do not fully protect against cutworms, so corn is still at risk every year to migrating black cutworm moths. Production practices that favor black cutworm damage include late tillage and late planting. That is good news for all the fields planted early this year. Corn planted after soybean is also more likely to get infested than in continuous corn. Poorly drained, weedy fields or fields located near native vegetation can also be attractive to egg-laying females. T
