VI. Field Corn Insects - Summary of Losses from Insect Damage and Costs of Control in Georgia 1995


	VI. Field Corn Insects

R. D. Hudson and J. N. All

Field corn was harvested from 350,000 acres in 1995. This was down from 540,000 acres in 1994. The 1995 planting of corn for all purposes was the lowest recorded planted acreage of all time. Corn yields for 1995 averaged 90 bushels per acre, down 16 bushels from 1994's record high. The 1995 yield was still 20 bushels higher than the drought damaged crop of 1993. Due to a national short supply of corn and other grains, prices were higher than recent years. The prices of 1995 corn sold between $5.50 and $4.00 per bushel with a statewide average of $4.10 per bushel, an increase of over $2.00 per bushel from the 1994 levels.

Stink bugs and soil insects continue to be the two primary insect pest problems in field corn. Losses to stink bug totaled nearly $3 million in 1995. This was followed closely by soil insects at $2.8 million. Western corn rootworm has been identified damaging northwestern Georgia corn plantings. This is the first year in which western corn rootworm has been reflected into survey and loss estimates.


	Estimates of Losses and Control Costs


	Rank

		1 2 3 4


	Insect

	Stink bugs Soil insects² Corn earworm Fall armyworm *Total*


	Cost of Control¹

		$ 515,000 1,092,000³ 168,000 28,000 *$1,803,000*


		Damage

	$2,441,000 1,709,000 342,000 156,000 *$4,648,000*


		Total

	$2,956,000 2,801,000 510,000 184,000 *$6,451,000*


	¹ Excluding application costs. ² Primarily the billbug, lesser cornstalk borer, wireworms, western corn rootworm and southern corn rootworm. ³ This is an estimate of the cost of all at-planting insecticide-nematicide usage.


	Information Pertaining to Control of Major Field Corn Insect Pests in Georgia in 1995


	Insect

	Stink bugs Soil insects³ Corn earworm⁵ Fall armyworm⁵


	No. Acres Needing Control

		175,000 175,000 35,000 18,000


	No. Acres Treated

		74,000 91,000 21,000 14,000


	No. of Unit Applic.

		1.0 1.0 1.0 .3


	Avg. Cost Per Unit Treated¹

		$ 7.00 12.00⁴ 8.00 8.00


	Yield Loss on Units Treated²

		126,000 158,000 32,000 19,000


	Yield Loss on Units Untreated²

		662,000 394,000 79,000 32,000


	¹ Excluding application costs. ² Yield units measured in bushels. ³ Primarily the billbug, lesser cornstalk borer, wireworms, western corn rootworm and southern corn rootworm. ⁴ This is an estimate of the cost of all at-planting insecticide-nematicide usage. ⁵ It is currently not economically feasible to prevent ear damage in field corn.


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