Sunday, July 4, 2010

What Is The Corn's Main Nemesis?

By Maria Rivera

Across the US corn belt, the first and foremost cluster of bugs are the corn rootworm beetles. There are basically three species of corn rootworms in Kentucky, the northern, western and southern corn rootworms. Whilst they each harm corn in much the same manner, by gnawing on the roots of the developing plant, they have a number of defined differences in their biology and operations. The adult of every one of the three species is a compact green beetle close to a quarter of an inch in size.

This particular type of rootworm is the most usual species attacking corn in Kentucky and could be identified by the three distinct black stripes on its light green shape. This kind of rootworm (often known as the spotted cucumber beetle) is more prevalent than the western, but is primarily an occasional pest of corn. The southern corn rootworm is acknowledged by the eleven visible black spots on the green wing that covers their bodies. The least popular of the species in Kentucky is the northern corn rootworm that is certainly lacking in any black marks on the wing covers. That which is standard with all of the corn rootworms in Kentucky is always that their offspring hatch in late spring and the larvae are harmful to the roots of the corn.

In general the the greater part of havoc takes place throughout the calendar month of June. Just what exactly can vary among the species is when the eggs are set. With the western and north species the eggs are laid in the solid ground at the bottom of corn plants through the previous summer time. These varieties have a very slender host range, feasting on corn and a few other grass species. Over the course of winter, the eggs are to hatch this May. The small larvae can simply move a very brief range in the solid ground to get roots and begin their advancement.

For that reason, in Kentucky the northern and western corn rootworms are just challenging in steady corn. The southern corn rootworm overwinters as a mature and will lay down its eggs in the early spring. The southern corn rootworm has an extremely wide host collection and will lay down its eggs all around the bases on a number of plant species, it frequently doesn't focus on only corn. The deterioration undertaken by the larvae to corn roots is often considerable. Corn plants produce roots on progressive rings, the corn rootworm larvae can damage several or more full rings of roots during June if communities are severe.

Corn plants which were heavily ruined by corn rootworm larvae often fall over partially and may start to bend upward. This is characteristic of rootworm impairment and is called 'goose-necking' of corn. Damaged roots will frequently build a proliferation of supplementary roots and may show signals of drought stress possibly even through periods of adequate soil dampness. The problems carried out by the larvae to corn roots can be substantial. Corn plants acquire roots on accelerating rings, the corn rootworm larvae can hurt about three or more full rings of roots in the course of June if communities are severe.

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