Strategies for Protecting Sweet Corn Ears from Damage by Fall Armyworms (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Southern Florida

Abstract

A study was conducted near Belle Glade, Florida during 1986 and 1987 to evaluate strategies for protecting sweet corn ears from damage by fall armyworms (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith). It was found that maintaining the crop relatively free of FAW before the plants began to silk reduced the number of insecticide sprays needed during the silking period to protect the ears. The grower practice of concentrating sprays toward the beginning of the silking period instead of spacing the sprays evenly throughout the silking period provided little if any benefit. There was great variation between seasons in the number of insecticide sprays necessary to achieve the desired level of 98% undamaged ears, ranging from no sprays in the spring of 1986 to more than 10 sprays during the 21 day silking period in the spring of 1987.