Silk Balling and Other Factors Associated with Resistance of Corn to Corn Earwonn

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Abstract
In 3 years of testing corn for resistance to corn earworm, Heliothis zea, at the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, balling of silk at the tip of the ear has been observed in some lines. This balling appears to have an adverse influence on earworm feeding, presenting a physical barrier to penetration of the ears. From tests conducted it was concluded that silk balling is associated with resistance and may be the only form of resistance in some lines. In another experiment sweet corn ears of some resistant and susceptible lines were manipulated to extend the silk channel of the ears an additional 5 in. by allowing unfertilized silks to grow through a tygon tube. The silks in the tubes were infested with first-instar corn earworm larvae. In all lines, the silks in the tubed ears were almost completely consumed without apparent ill effects to the larvae and no evidence of lethal silk was found.

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