Don’t wait for your corn to go down

July 18, 2020 11:30 AM
Blog Post

With several severe weather events in Iowa this month, reports of lodged corn are coming our way. Often times, a small part of the field is flattened and would be difficult to see from the edge. I encourage you to get out into cornfields and see how your stands look this month. In some cases, using a UAV camera to scan large fields is helpful. Evaluating root injury and adult activity is helpful for determining future management decisions.

lodged cornfield.
Look for patches of lodged plants within cornfields. Photo by Erin Hodgson (17 July 2020).

lodged corn stalk.
Classic goosenecking injury caused by corn rootworm larvae. Photo by Erin Hodgson(17 July 2020).

In most cases, Bt traits are included in these fields with severe root injury. Continuous corn production fields are more likely to have economic injury from corn rootworm. Larval feeding can consume most of the roots and interfere with nutrient and water uptake; plus compromised roots make plants unstable in inclement weather.

corn rootworm injury.
Severe root injury directly translates to yield losses. Photo by Erin Hodgson (17 July 2020).

Authors: 

Erin Hodgson Professor

Dr. Erin Hodgson started working in the Department of Entomology, now the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, at Iowa State University in 2009. She is a professor with extension and research responsibilities in corn and soybeans. She has a general background in integrated...

Ashley Dean Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Specialist II

Ashley is an education extension specialist for field crop entomology at Iowa State University. She coordinates the Iowa Moth Trapping Network, the Regional Corn Rootworm Monitoring Network, and the Iowa Pest Alert Network. She also develops educational resources for field crop pests in Iowa and ...