Corn flea beetle belongs to the species Chaetocnema pulicaria are small insects that can be destructive to corn crops. These disease-carrying beetles cause Stewart’s wilt disease which is a bacterial disease that affects corn frets. Farmers and home gardeners must control corn flea beetles to achieve good yields from their corn plants. This blog specifically describes correct methods for preventing corn flea beetles effectively in your corn crops. Farmers seeking to manage corn flea beetles will find this guide quite helpful and informative for their needs.
Corn flea beetles are small, shiny black or brown beetles, about 1. 5 to 2 mm in length. People believe they are capable of jumping, similar to fleas, thus their name. Overwintering of these beetles occurs on plant residues and activities in early spring where they feed on corn seeds and young plants. Their feeding causes small round holes like shots on the leaves which lead to stunting of the plant and decreased yields. Corn flea beetle life cycle does not impact much while trying to control it.
Check corn fields and gardens frequently to detect the presence of corn flea beetles early and effectively. Look for shot hole damage on plants and beetles hiding on the lower leaf surfaces for early detection. Early detection ensures damage is contained, preventing it from escalating or spreading to other areas in the field.
Knowing how to get rid of corn flea beetles is very important. It is learnt that the following are some of the cultural practices that may be used to prevent attack by the corn flea beetle: These practices include:
Crop Rotation: Do not make corn in the same place two or more consecutive seasons. Interplanting with other crops different from host crops can ruin the life cycle of the beetle.
Field Sanitation: It also advised to clean the field or garden where the plants to be cultivated would grow since debris and weeds acts like the home of beetles that can overwinter.
Planting Time: The best time to plant corn is during early season because there are few beetles around and they do not harm the crop much.
They recommend selecting corn types that are less susceptible to Stewart’s wilt and not preferred by corn flea beetles. Visit seed catalogue as well as the local services providing agricultural extension to know the recommended varieties that may resist diseases in your region.
Biological control deals with the utilization of natural enemies in the regulation of pests. Since corn flea beetle is a pest, other predators, parasitoids, and pathological organisms can be relied upon to balance the numbers. One of the advantageous biocontrol agents is Metarhizium anisopliae which is a non-pathogenic, soil-based, entomonogenous fungus. Organic treatment for flea beetles is very vital.
The selected town is Springfield in Illinois, a town which once relies on farming; in the summer of 2023, this town experienced a corn flea beetle outbreak. Farmers and home gardening planters stated that corn crops were heavily damaged and took necessary measures.
In Springfield, April and early May’s warmth favored corn flea beetles, affecting young corn plants significantly. Farmers observed substantial devastation on young corn plants and spread of Stewart’s wilt caused by these beetles. The local agriculture extension surveyed the situation, proposing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for effective control. IPM includes cultural management practices, resistant varieties, and biocontrol use for managing corn flea beetles effectively.
Flea beetle control insecticide is always needed to handle terrible diseases like this.
Among the measures accommodated within the framework of the IPM strategy was the application of Novobac’s Myco-Pestop Metarhizium anisopliae – the organic insecticide. This product is the entomopathogenic fungal agent of Metarhizium anisopliae that on the contact infects and kills corn flea beetles.
Product Overview
Myco-Pestop Metarhizium anisopliae is a bio-insecticide; registered to control several insect pests like corn flea beetles. Metarhizium anisopliae bacteria parasitize insects by piercing their cuticle and proliferating throughout their bodies, causing death. This organic insecticide does not harm beneficial insects and poses no risk to human health or the environment.
Thus, the application of IPM, including Myco-Pestop Metarhizium anisopliae in combination with other strategies, helped to reduce corn flea beetle populations in Springfield. From the farmers’ feedback, the following changes were noted: better stand of the corn plant, lower Stewart’s wilt incidences, and higher yields. For home gardeners, the condition of corn was favorable and appropriately replenished, thus leading to heavy yields in harvest.
The example from the Simpsons’ town of Springfield shows how IPM works and what position biological control has in the context of corn flea beetles. This paper has explored and established that Myco-Pestop Metarhizium anisopliae can be very effective in farming and gardening pest control if used in combination with other conventional pest control measures; it can supplement other traditional pest control methodologies but be eco-friendly at the same time.
Corn flea beetles are notable pests of corn, however, measures can be taken to reduce its effect on corn production. Organic Pest management should always be conducted via an environmentally friendly method and Novobac is always aware of helping farmers in this quest. The case study of Springfield, Illinois as a post-industrial city, shows how effective this method usually can be. Trust Novobac and Myco-Pestop Metarhizium anisopliae to do the magic for you! Do it before the corn flea beetle life cycle completes and destroys the plantations!
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