Prevalence of Sporadic Insect Pests of Seedling Corn and Factors Affecting Risk of Infestation

Abstract

Abstract A preventative insecticide treatment is a tactic compatible with an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy for a particular pest only when a rescue treatment is not a realistic option, and if there is a reasonable expectation of economic damage by that pest. Most corn, Zea mays L., planted in the United States is protected from several sporadic early-season insect pests by neonicotinoid seed treatments, usually without the knowledge of the threat posed in a given field. We undertook an extensive literature review of these sporadic pests to clarify the prevalence of economic infestations in different regions of the United States, and the agronomic, biotic, and abiotic factors that affect the likelihood of attack. The summaries of the prevalence and risk factors presented here should help farmers and consultants better assess the value of preventative protection of seedling corn under local conditions, and provide others with a better understanding of the complexities farmers face in assessing risks posed by potential pests. The profiles suggest that, in general, pressure from most sporadic pests on seedling corn is rare or local, seldom high enough to decrease yield. However, this is not true in all regions for all sporadic pests. An important issue exposed by the profiles is that the value of preventative insecticide protection of seedling corn depends on understanding the likely combined pressure from multiple species. While such risk may often still be negligible, there is a great need for robust methodology to assess the risk posed by multiple pests. This represents a significant challenge for future research.