University of Minnesota Extension is asking corn growers to help them gauge pest numbers by participating in insect trapping networks.

Bruce Potter, an Extension integrated pest management specialist at Southwest Research and Outreach Center in Lamberton, Minn., shared in a recent blog that scientists would like to have continued support from farmers.

“For the past few years, Minnesota farm families and their checkoff investment have helped support insect-trapping networks in Minnesota for several corn insect pests,” he wrote. “We would like to continue and expand this network in 2021 and would appreciate your help.”

Specifically, Extension is looking for assistance with:

Black cutworm. These insects migrate as moth into Minnesota each spring, Potter said, since they cannot overwinter here. The larvae attack several crops, including corn and soybeans.

Spring weather patterns usually lead to early-season migrations of moths mainly into the southern half of Minnesota. A network of pheromone traps will help predict when and where damage from black cutworm larvae will occur.

STATEWIDE COOPERATORS NEEDED: As of Jan. 28, these are the counties in Minnesota that have volunteers who stepped forward as 2021 black cutworm-trapping cooperators. (Courtesy of Bruce Potter)

For the previous year’s results of the black cutworm reporting network, visit bit.ly/blkcutworm. 

Extension staff are starting to line up 2021 cooperators and trap locations, Potter said. Ideally, they would like to get two pheromone trap locations per county, particularly in the southern half of the state. Some farmer-cooperators have already volunteered to run traps this spring (see map).

Armyworm. The armyworm is another migrant moth pest that can be captured with pheromone traps, Potter said. The larvae are pests of corn, small grains, grass seed fields, grass hay and pastures. Because of armyworm infestations the past few years, Extension plans to include this insect as part of the black cutworm network.

Corn rootworm. Cooperators are needed to monitor corn rootworm beetles with yellow sticky traps during the summer. The results can help determine the risk of corn rootworm damage to corn in the following year, Potter said. This project will attempt to pool data across Minnesota with the goal of better understanding spatial and temporal changes in corn rootworm populations. Individual field locations will be kept confidential.

For more information or to volunteer to serve as a cooperator, contact Potter at [email protected] or Travis Vollmer at [email protected]. Or, if you have corn rootworm trap data from 2020 to share, contact them, too.