If you are a farmer or gardener, then now is probably the time to do a little scouting to make sure there are no pests attacking your plants. Now is the time of year when problems are starting to arise, and it is best to get ahead of them before they cause too much damage—or even worse, produce even more pests.
There are a number of pests that can damage what you're growing, but the following are some of the most common in our area.
Cutworms
There are multiple types of cutworms in the state of Missouri. One of them being the Black Cutworm (BCW). Feeding patterns of the BCW are determined by the soil moisture and the size of your corn plants. One larva has the ability to cut off an average of five corn plants during its development, according to John Tooker, Penn State University entomologist.
The BCW is considered to be an aggressive pest. It makes its appearance usually around late spring across the Corn Belt, and causes damage to corn, cotton, tobacco, and many more plants. The BCW will overwinter in the southern states, and then move north as spring storms progress across the Midwest.
You can identify them by their body segments. A gray body with four dots – two small and two large – distinguishes BCW from other common cutworms, such as armyworm.
Source: kmzu.com
Photo Credit: pexels-nikolett-emmert
Categories: Missouri, Crops, Corn