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VI. Field
Corn Insects
R. D.
Hudson and J. N. All
Field corn was
harvested from 525,000 acres in 1996. This was up from 350,000 acres in 1995.
Corn yields for 1996 averaged 95 bushels per acre, up 5 bushels from 1995. The 1996
corn price sold for a statewide average of $3.55 per bushel, a slight decrease over 1995
farm levels.
Stink bugs and soil
insects continue to be the two primary insect problems in field corn. Losses to
stink bug totaled nearly $5.2 million dollars in 1996. This was followed closely by
soil insects at $4.7 million. Western corn rootworm continues to develop across
north Georgia corn plantings.
Estimates of Losses and Control Costs
Rank |
Insect |
Cost of Control1 |
Damage |
Total |
1 |
Stink bugs |
$772,000 |
$4,426,000 |
$5,198,000 |
2 |
Soil Insects2 |
1,638,0003 |
3,098,000 |
4,786,000 |
3 |
Corn earworm |
252,000 |
620,000 |
872,000 |
4 |
Fall armyworm |
42,000 |
283,000 |
325,000 |
| |
Total |
$2,704,000 |
$8,427,000 |
$11,131,000 |
|
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 1996 |
Insect |
No. Acres Needing Control |
No. Acres Treated |
No. of Unit Applic. |
Avg. Cost Per Unit Treated1 |
Yield Loss on Units Treated2 |
Yield Loss on Units
Untreated2 |
Stink bugs |
263,000 |
110,000 |
1.0 |
$7.00 |
200,000 |
1,047,000 |
Soil Insects3 |
263,000 |
137,000 |
1.0 |
12.004 |
249,000 |
623,000 |
Corn earworm5 |
53,000 |
32,000 |
1.0 |
8.00 |
50,000 |
125,000 |
Fall armyworm5 |
26,000 |
21,000 |
0.3 |
8.00 |
30,000 |
50,000 |
|
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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