For those of you with late plantings of sweet corn or field corn that is still in the late stages of silking, do not let your guard down! We are still recording high trap catches throughout the state. Almost every reporting location (except for the Purdue Student Farm) is catching a nightly average of moths[Read More…]
Corn
Squash Vine Borer While we have disseminated several Delta traps throughout the state, we are getting few reports back from collaborators. Those who have reported recently (Allen, Marion, and Knox Counties) are all still reporting adult moths being active and caught in traps. Corn Earworm Be sure that you are monitoring your dent corn in[Read More…]
I monitor three different insect pests with pheromone traps to help make informed decisions about when to spray insecticides or take other actions for management. Trap data can be found on the Extension Entomology Vegetables Website. The longest-running is the corn earworm (Figure 1) trapping network. Purdue Meigs farm, in Tippecanoe County, is still catching[Read More…]
This disease is a relatively new disease to Indiana. So far, it has mostly affected field corn. However, tar spot was recently observed on sweet corn. This article will discuss the symptoms, biology and management of tar spot of sweet corn. Tar spot causes dark, mostly circular lesions on the leaves, stalks and husks of[Read More…]
We are looking for sweet corn growers to participate in our 2023 Twilight Vegetable Meeting and Sweet Corn Tasting. Our Meeting on August 24 at Pinney Purdue Ag Center in Wanatah will feature information on pumpkins, pepper, sweet corn, compost, and tomatoes. The event will also include information for consumers/homeowners on Vegetable Gardening, and Private[Read More…]
What is buggy whipping? “Buggy whipping” is the term for when leaves in the corn whorl become crinkled and fail to unfurl (Figure 1) properly. It can also be referred to as “twisted whorl syndrome” or “rapid growth syndrome”. Often these crinkled leaves bend toward the ground, resulting in an appearance some liken to a[Read More…]
Heritage Corn: Planting, Challenges, and Educating from the Family Plot Perspective This winter, Northern Indiana farmer, Zuleyja Prieto, finished her SARE farmer rancher grant that focused on planting and preserving heritage corn varieties (Figure 1). Prieto worked with her family and local farmer collaborators on heritage corn in a family plot for two years. A[Read More…]
We are happy to announce that Purdue Extension is presenting its annual Fruit and Vegetable Field Day on July 20, 2023, at the Throckmorton/Meigs Horticulture Farm, Lafayette, IN. Registration is now open. To register your spot, visit https://cvent.me/5zevYD The field day schedule is very exciting, something for everyone to look forward to. Sweet corn pest[Read More…]
There are many traps available to help with monitoring insect populations. As you prepare for the 2023 growing season, I would like to review some of them in case you want to implement trapping on your own farm to help improve your pest management programs. Trap Design. Traps come in a variety of shapes, sizes,[Read More…]