Cutworms

One pest I can always count on encountering in the spring is cutworm.  Yes I found some today a short distance north of Carlinville.  I did not count, but at least 1% of the plants were cut.  That does not count leaf feeding.  In addition, some leaf damage from frost was present.  I heard Mike Gray of University of Illinois saying that the time to spray is when leaf feeding starts.  He said the old 3% rule does not hold up with the high price of corn.  This is consistent with one of my customers who has always said to spray if you see damage.  If the cutworms are eating, they will be at the threshold tomorrow anyway. 

I have in the past seen cutworm damage in cutworm resistant corn.  The cutworms have to eat some corn to die. If you have cutworm resistant corn, keep that in mind. 

Yesterday I attended a very interesting meeting put on by the IL Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society.  I am saving those comments for a rainy day.