By Clint Thompson
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension peanut entomologist Mark Abney is once again encouraging farmers to scout their fields – this time for lesser cornstalk borers (LCB). In the UGA Extension blog, Abney said the pest has been found by consultants and county agents in peanut fields across the state. Populations have reached treatable levels in different locations.
If you’re scouting, it is important to look closely for moths, silk tubes and caterpillars. Growers who do not have a scout are still advised to walk fields to determine if LCB is present and not base your spraying decisions on what your neighbor or fellow farmer is doing.
“When infestations are widespread, it can be tempting for growers without a scout to apply an insecticide for LCB because the neighbor is spraying, but not all fields will require treatment,” Abney said in his blog.
LCB moths prefer to lay eggs on or near plants in a skip. It is a dry weather pest, but it can and does impact irrigated fields especially prior to canopy closure. Once the row middles are covered, LCB problems normally dissipate if rainfall and/or irrigation are adequate.
Treatment options for LCB include chlorantraniliprole (Prevathon) or novaluron (Diamond) applied as broadcast foliar sprays.
For more information, including a video on how to scout for LCB, see UGA Extension blog.
About the Author
