European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Damage to Maize in Eastern North Carolina

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Abstract
Field survey experiments were conducted in 1981, 1982, and 1983 in eastern North Carolina to assess level of damage done by Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) to commercial maize. There was a significant relationship between grain weight and cavities per plant in 10 of 12 fields surveyed. In controlled experiments in 1982 and 1983, a more significant relationship was observed between grain weight and cavities per plant. Reduction in maize yield by O. nubilalis ranged from 102.72 to 465.79 kg/ha per cavity. Yield reduction was affected by infestation date, infestation level, and year (rainfall). In these experiments, variation in maize yield accounted for by cavities ranged from 4.1 to 54.3%. Damage potential of O. nubilalis to maize was not significantly different at 49,000 and 69,000 plants per ha.