Recent black cutworm outbreaks in the northern U.S. have shown the strength of Mycogen Seeds Herculex® I hybrids, and their ability to protect growers’ stands from this pest – the most damaging cutworm species in corn.

Black cutworm over winters only in the southern regions. Northern states must be recolonized each year by migrating moths. This behavior makes the pest hard to track, outbreaks tough to predict, and further reinforces the importance of being proactive in the field.

Grower Scott Coffey, of Garden Grove, Iowa, says his Mycogen® brand hybrids with Herculex I Insect Protection handled black cutworm pressure better than his conventional hybrids. Coffey — who planted more than 1,400 acres of corn — found black cutworm in three fields.

According to John Long, District Agronomist for Mycogen Seeds, who evaluated the 300 acres, Coffey’s acres planted of Mycogen brand Herculex/LibertyLink hybrid, 2P722, had almost no feeding of black cutworm.

“I saw feeding more on the conventional hybrids than on my Herculex hybrids,” Coffey says.

Scouting and spraying helped Coffey catch the black cutworm in a timely fashion. Long says that scouting early allowed Coffey to identify black cutworm infestations and apply the appropriate insecticide.

“He could have had a virtual loss of all conventional hybrids,” says Long. “Fortunately, we were proactive and in the fields early.”

Grower John Schmidt, of Grinnell, Iowa, also suffered a recent black cutworm outbreak on his 400-acre farm. The pest hit two fields on Schmidt’s farm and caused damage to 30 acres of conventional corn. Schmidt had planted Mycogen brand Herculex® I /LibertyLink hybrid, 2J772, which he sells to the corn sweetener market, now possible due to recent European approvals for Herculex I.

“You can really see the black cutworm damage on the conventional acres and then the damage just stops at the fields planted with Herculex,” says Charlie Durr, Schmidt’s seed dealer.

Schmidt was able to replant his conventional acres and added even more Mycogen® brand Herculex hybrids to his field this time. “Herculex did a good job and I’m very happy with its performance,” he says.

In addition to Iowa, several states have reported black cutworm activity. Ed King, Technology Transfer Leader, Dow AgroSciences, notes that many counties in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin reported significant moth migration in 2006, and several areas experienced damage exceeding economic thresholds. Black cutworm activity was higher across these states in 2006 when compared to last year. 

“Herculex® I and Herculex XTRA are the only in-plant transgenic products that provide ‘peace of mind’ protection against black cutworm,” says King.

Long reminds growers that Mycogen brand hybrids with Herculex I technology are an excellent option for fields with a history of cutworm, fields that are low-lying, reduced-till, no-tilled, or fields that are simply difficult to scout regularly during early spring. “Damage from black cutworms is often most evident in no-till or weedy fields, especially in poorly drained areas,” he says.

“When cutworms average less than 3/4 inch in length, an insecticide should be considered if 2 percent to 3 percent of the plants are wilted or cut. If cutworms are longer than 1 inch, treatment should be applied if 5 percent of the plants are cut. If the field has a poor plant population – 20,000 or less – these thresholds should be lowered,” Long adds.

Growers who plant late or have replanted acres should scout early and often for black cutworm.

“Once the field is sprayed or plants have five fully developed leaves, then growers can stop scouting. Once plants reach the fifth leaf stage, it becomes very difficult for cutworms to cut

the plant, although they may drill into the side,” says Jeff Housman, District Agronomist, Mycogen Seeds.

Because black cutworm is so unpredictable, Housman suggests that growers look to their local university’s resources for guidance on when to scout, what to watch for and recommendations for treatment.

Grain from hybrids containing Herculex I only is fully approved for food and feed use in the European Union; however, this approval does not apply to grain (or processed products from this grain, e.g. gluten) from Herculex I hybrids stacked with Roundup Ready® Corn 2. Grain from hybrids containing Herculex® I and Roundup Ready Corn 2 is a Market Choices® product and must be marketed accordingly.

Mycogen Seeds is a retail seed company of Dow AgroSciences LLC and a developer and marketer of leading grain corn hybrids, the market leader in Silage-Specific™ corn hybrids and sunflower hybrids, as well as an industry leader in canola, alfalfa, soybeans and sorghum. .

Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top-tier agricultural company providing innovative crop protection, seeds and biotechnology solutions to serve the world’s growing population.   

®™Mycogen, the Mycogen Logo and Silage-Specific are trademarks of Mycogen Corporation. 
®Herculex is a trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC
®Roundup Ready is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company.
®LIBERTY and LibertyLink are registered trademarks of Bayer CropScience.
®Market Choices is a certification mark used under license from ASTA.
©2006 Mycogen Seeds. Mycogen Seeds is an affiliate of Dow AgroSciences LLC.
Herculex Insect Protection technology by Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer Hi-Bred.