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The Western and Northern corn rootworms are a leaf type of beetle that predominantly survives on corn. Adult females lay eggs in the ground during late summer of the previous crop year. Eggs begin to hatch around the end of May to middle part of June around the time that corn has reached the development stage showing four-leafs, about the time the mature firefly beetle is also spotted. The larvae emerge from the eggs and feed on the corn root system for three weeks to one month passing through three stages of growth commonly known as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd instars. Upon reaching maturation, the 3rd transforms into the chrysalis, which becomes inactive for one to two weeks. When the pupae emerge as mature beetles, they crawl free from the ground and begin to feed at corn silk, pollen, and corn leafs near the middle part of July. They remain active for 10-12 weeks feeding, mating, and depositing new eggs that will become those that remain dormant over winter until the life-cycle begins anew the following year. Larvae of the rootworm will bring about the majority of damage to the corn system. When the corn rootworm is active, injury to the root system maybe range from mild, such as scars from feeding and injury to the tips, to the severe in which entire root system nodes are decimated. In the case of severe injury, lodging will take place and crop yields are greatly reduced. Adult corn rootworm can also result in catastrophic damage, interfering with pollination after voracious feeding at silks, more commonly known as silk clipping. Western Corn Rootworms tend eat primarily on greenery while Northern Corn Rootworms seem to feed most consistently on the silk of the corn. A new species of rootworm, commonly known as the first-year CRW, is currently moving east across Ohio, causing extensive injury to first-year corn not previously seen. Year one corn could also be under threat to injury from rootworm as the eggs stay buried in the ground for the entire twelve month span, remaining dormant until corn is planted again in a two-year rotation. GM corn is not available in an all-in-one corn trait that provides the broadest spectrum of above and below ground insect protection, enabling the best possible nutrients and water uptake, protecting shoots to encourage photosynthesis and grain production, and also includes herbicide tolerance, for broad spectrum weed control, and an increase in whole-farm yield productivity. If you're looking for more information on these incredible new ways to both protect your crop from corn borers and other pests while increasing your crop yield total, a simple online search will quickly return the results you're looking for. The fight against corn borers has the potential to turn greatly in your favor.
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