fieldcorn97 - Summary of Losses from Insect Damage and Costs of Control in Georgia 1995

Summary of Losses from Insect Damage and Costs of Control in Georgia - 1997

VI. Field Corn Insects

R. D. Hudson and J. N. All

Field corn was harvested from 500,000 acres in 1997. This was down from 525,000 acres in 1996. Corn yields for 1997 averaged 110 bushels per acre, up 15 bushels from 1996. The 1997 corn price sold for a statewide average of $2.90 per bushel, a decrease over 1996 farm levels.

Stink bugs and soil insects continue to be the primary insect problems in corn. This was followed by soil insects, corn earworm, and fall armyworm. 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	$1,085,000	$9,411,000	$10,496,000
2	Soil insects²	2,400,000	2,313,000	4,713,000
3	Corn earworm	200,000	447,000	647,000
4	Fall armyworm	40,000	255,000	295,000
	Total	$3,725,000	$12,426,000	$16,151,000

¹Excluding application costs.
² Primarily the billbug, lesser cornstalk borer, wireworms and southern corn rootworm.
³This 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 1997
Insect	No. Units Needing Control	No. Units Treated	No. of Unit Applic.	Avg. Cost Per Units Treated¹	Yield Loss on Units Treated²	Yield Loss on Units Untreated²
Stink bugs	400,000	155,000	1.0	$7.00	495,000	2,750,000
Soil insects³	250,000	200,000	1.0	12.00	385,000	413,000
Corn earworm⁵	40,000	25,000	1.0	8.00	44,000	110,000
Fall armyworm⁵	25,000	20,000	.3	8.00	33,000	55,000

¹Excluding application costs.
²Yield units measured in bushels.
³Primarily the billbug, lesser cornstalk borer, wireworms and southern corn rootworm.
⁴This 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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