Start Scouting for Stalk Borer

Iowa has been steadily accumulating degree days ahead of schedule in 2012. Over the weekend, some parts of southern Iowa hit an important degree day benchmark for common stalk borer. About 10 percent of stalk borer larvae can begin moving to corn after accumulating 1,300 to 1,400 degree days. Part of southwestern and southeastern Iowa have reached that threshold and we recommend starting to scout this week in corn (Fig. 1). Central and northern Iowa should start scouting May 12 to May 18, if warm temperatures continue. This is about three weeks earlier than last year