2023 University of Minnesota Cooperative Black Cutworm Trapping Network
For more information: https://z.umn.edu/bcw-reporting
April 25, 2023
Greetings:
Fieldwork has been minimal so far this spring. Most 2023 corn fields
have yet to be worked and planted and so are still attractive to egg-laying black cutworm moths.
It was a week of relatively low captures. Cold temperatures minimized the activity of any moths that might have arrived.
However, a Martin County trap captured a total of 8 moths on April 14-15 (Figure 1, Table 1). This is the first significant flight, and the date can be used as a biofix to start calculating degree days required for cutworm larva hatch and larvae are large enough to cut small corn (Table 2). This same Martin County trap had a 7-moth capture on April 19 and a trap in Waseca County captured 7 moths on April 20.
Using historical weather data from the Midwest climate center, eggs from these flights are predicted to hatch around May7.
Minnesota armyworm trap captures have been very low this spring. Those who cruise the internet may have seen eastern corn belt reports of large numbers of armyworm moths arriving from the south. These have not yet occurred here.
All Black cutworm and armyworm traps should be up and running now. As more southerly weather systems move through Minnesota, we should start to pick up additional moths.
Until next week,
Bruce
Bruce Potter
University of Minnesota Extension IPM Specialist
University of Minnesota SW Research and Outreach Center
23669 130th Street
Lamberton, MN 56152
[email protected]
Cell: (507) 276-1184
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