Sweet Corn Variety and Pest Management Trial at the Neely-Kinyon Farm, 2001

Because of Iowa agricultural resources and the extensive experience of Iowa farmers with field corn production, organic sweet corn can be grown successfully in Iowa. And because the U.S. organic consumer market continues to grow, premium prices can be obtained for Iowa organic sweet corn. The potential for major markets across the United States has been identified; research on production, harvesting, and processing protocols is needed to meet this demand. One of the key pests in organic sweet corn production is the corn earworm. Earworm control was improved through the addition of a certified organic spreader-sticker in preliminary tests in 2001. This project investigated variety selection for early markets as well as the efficacy of the naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), for improved pest management of the corn earworm