Year-Round IPM Program Pages
This year-round IPM program covers the major pests of field corn in the Central Valley. This program does not cover sweet corn.
Early silk through maturity
- Special issues of concern related to environmental quality: volatile organic compounds (VOCs), drift, runoff.
- Mitigate pesticide effects on air and water quality.
What should you be doing during this time?
Monitor for diseases. If you find heavy infection rates of:
- Charcoal rot—note for next season’s management planning.
- Fusarium stalk rot and Pythium stalk rot—consider crop rotation out of corn.
- Fusarium ear rot, head smut or common smut—note for next year’s variety choices.
Other pests and damage you may see:
- Armyworms
- Cucumber beetles
- Corn earworm
If spider mite colonies are present, consider treating with Oberon at least 30 days before harvest.
If more than ten percent of stalks have fallen over due to Pythium or Fusarium stalk rot, schedule an early harvest.
Right before harvest, sample ears from different quadrants of the field. Check for damage to assess this year’s pest management and to plan for next year.
- No ears/poorly filled ears
- Curved ears
- Red leaves