Black Cutworm larvae have begun feeding in several areas across the Northeast Iowa territory. Farmers are urged to begin scouting fields now and monitoring them closely. UNL agronomists lend the following guidelines for cutworm pressure and treatment:
If larvae found in the field are smaller than ¾ inch, then a threshold of 2 to 3 percent wilted or cut plants indicates an insecticide application is warranted. If larvae are longer than ¾ inch, the threshold increases to 5 percent cut plants. Remember to take into consideration the plant population in a particular field and adjust threshold numbers accordingly.
