Description:

• Corn borer infestations typically occur during warm and humid conditions, with the pest mainly active from July to September.

Damage Symptoms:

• Round holes are visible on the leaves, especially at the whorls where the larvae feed.
• Inside the stalks, tunnels disrupt nutrient flow, weakening the plant and causing it to break.
• The quality of the ears is poor due to larvae feeding on the kernels.
• Severe infestations lead to lodging as the stalks break down.

Preventive Measures:

• Introduce Trichogramma wasps as a biological control, as they attack corn borer eggs.

Control Measures:

• Apply lambda-cyhalothrin at a rate of 1 ml/l as a foliar spray or 0.5 ml/l of spinosad when symptoms first appear.