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Survey of organic sweet corn growers identifies corn earworm prevalence, management and opportunities for plant breeding

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 July 2020

Virginia M. Moore Open the ORCID record for Virginia M. Moore [Opens in a new window]  and
William F. Tracy Open the ORCID record for William F. Tracy [Opens in a new window]
Virginia M. Moore*
Affiliation:
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), 10300 Baltimore Ave., Building 001, Room 010, Beltsville, MD20705, USA
William F. Tracy
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 364c Moore Hall, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI53706, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Virginia M. Moore, E-mail: vmmoore3@ncsu.edu
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Abstract

Corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) is one of the most important pests in organic sweet corn (Zea mays) production. Breeding of corn earworm-resistant varieties has been identified as a potential approach to deal with this pest, but it is critical that plant breeding efforts reflect the contexts and needs of organic producers who might eventually adopt earworm-resistant varieties. In November–December 2017, we surveyed organic sweet corn producers in the U.S. to learn about impacts of corn earworm on organic sweet corn production, how producers are currently managing the pest and opportunities for plant breeding to reduce its overall impact. The survey confirmed that corn earworm is the most challenging insect pest for organic sweet corn producers, that current management options remain limited and that earworm-resistant varieties could improve the ability of growers to consistently produce damage-free sweet corn and to improve the value of sweet corn within organic operations.

Keywords

Corn earworminsect resistanceorganic productionsurveysweet corn
Type
From the Field
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , April 2021 , pp. 126 - 129
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

*

To whom reprint requests should be addressed.

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