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Learn integrated pest management (IPM) practices for field corn, including pest management, protection of groundwater, IPM practitioner responsibilities, management tactics, and weed and insect management techniques.
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IPM Management Strategiesfor Field Corn Joyce Meader Cooperative Extension System University of Connecticut
Uconn Cooperative Extension Field Corn IPM requirements: • Records of past and present pesticides • Nutrients applied according to soil tests • Apply limestone for proper pH • Calibrate pesticide application equip.
Pest Management • No soil or post emergence insecticidesare used without insect level reaching the action threshold; determined and recorded at scouting. • Record excessive weed species - before postemergence control - and at corn harvest Choose herbicides labeled against these weeds
Protection of Groundwater Identify fields with soil drainage classified: ‘Excessively’ or ‘Somewhat Excessively’ Use herbicides classified as having: low potential for water contamination on these fields.
What is an IPM practitioner? • A grower who scouts for pests • A grower who records problem pests • A grower who determines the need for pest control, the safest method, and the proper timing of a control tactic
Management Tactics: • Preventative • Make field less attractive to pests • Crop is stronger, able to resist pest attack • Remedial • Used when economic threshold exceeded • Cultural, chemical, or biological
Which tactic will you practice? • Will depend on damage by pests • Resources on farm • (scouting labor, soil type) • Farming system • (cultivation, crop rotation)
Weed Management- Preventative • Avoid feeding weedy forage: mature seeds can survive ensiling and digestion • Kill new weed species with spot spraying • Apply environmentally ‘safer’ pre-emergent herbicides within 7days of last cultivation • Follow soil fertility recommendations • Plant in narrow rows in early season • Rotate to hay to allow for early mowing
Weed Management- Remedial • Plow to suppress perennials • No-till to suppress large seeded annuals • Cultivate after corn planting • Choose post-emergence herbicides based on weed species and least threat to water • Spray when weeds most susceptible • Kill weeds before loss of crop yield • Rotate herbicide modes of action
Insect Management - Preventative - Rotate crops to break life cycles - Select hybrids resistant to damage - Eliminate grass or weeds that harbor insects, in fall (slugs) or at least 10 days before planting (cutworms) • Use cover crops to reduce attractive weeds • Adjust planting date to avoid insect • Use an insecticide seed treatment
Insect Management - Residual • Scout and spot treat according to economic threshold, using environmentally friendly insecticides • Consider natural enemies when choosing insecticide • Harvest as silage, chopping close to the ground, if European Corn Borer detected