Southwestern Corn Borer Monitoring Project
Funded by the Mississippi Corn Promotion Board
The southwestern corn borer (SWCB), Diatraea grandiosella, is a major pest of corn throughout Mississippi. It is a unique pest in that it causes three different types of damage during its three generations.
First
generation larvae feed on the growing point of whorl stage corn plants
causing “dead-heart” where the growing point of the plant dies. Yield
losses can occur due to low plant populations.
The second type of damage is stalk feeding, which is caused by second generation larvae tunneling into the corn stalk. This feeding causes a reduction in yield because the removal of stalk tissue interrupts the translocation of plant nutrients to the ears.
Third generation larvae generally cause lodging damage. Once the larva enters the corn stalk, it tunnels to the base where it girdles a groove, weakening the base of the plant which often leads to stalk lodging.
In 2007, the Mississippi Corn Promotion Board funded a statewide monitoring program for southwestern corn borer. This project was continued during 2008, 2009 and 2010. It has been extended for the 2011 growing season.
Participants in the monitoring project may enter monitoring page here (password protected).