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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #65831
Title: ROLE OF INSECT DISEASES IN MANAGING THE EUROPEAN CORN BORER

Author
item Lewis, Leslie

Submitted to: Integrated Crop Management Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/29/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The European corn borer is a serious pest of corn in the United States, causing upwards of $5 billion in losses per year. It is a very difficult insect to manage with crop protection products, therefore, conservation and maximizing the impact of indigenous disease causing microorganisms is imperative. Beauveria bassiana, a fungus and Nosema pyrausta, a microsporidium occur in most corn agroecosystems and substantially reduce populations of the European corn borer. Beauveria bassiana is very effective against European corn borers remaining in the field after harvest. As many as 75 percent are killed by the fungus between harvest and spring planting. Nosema pyrausta impacts populations by reducing the reproductive potential of the European corn borer and by killing young larvae when it is combined with environmental factors i.e., host plant resistance.