Cannon sprayers for combating the corn borer

Corn crops are the target of a number of pests which have made interventions and treatments to protect the crop necessary.

The worst threat comes from the corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), among the main pests that affect corn. It is a medium-sized nocturnal butterfly with a wingspan of 25-30 mm, which can be recognised by its yellowish wings.

Adult corn borers do not cause direct damage to corn plants. In fact, it is the larvae that damage the crop.

The pest damages the leaves, the culms and the caryopses.

More specifically, the first-generation larvae damage the leaves and enter the culm, where they reach maturity and form the chrysalis.

However, it is the second-generation larvae, which are born in midsummer, that cause the worst damage, as they attack the ears and gnaw at the caryopses, then penetrate into the cobs and culms, reaching as far as the base where they will look for stalks or other residues left in the field in which to overwinter.

The damage caused by corn borer larvae can be direct and indirect.

• Physiological damage: by digging tunnels and feeding on the inside of the stem, the larvae destroy the vascular system, altering the plant's metabolic functions. In this case, the plants will be weak, smaller and they will produce fewer caryopses per ear. And therefore the harvest will be scarce. Moreover, there is a strong risk that the internally damaged culm may break.
• Quantitative damage: the damage that the larvae cause on the ears and on the caryopses has as a direct consequence the drastic reduction of the production yield which will also be of lower quality. With production losses ranging from 5-7% in normal years and up to 30% of the crop's potential yield in more severe cases.
• Qualitative damage: the lesions and holes caused by the pest provide a pathway for moulds, fungi and bacteria, which can result in contamination by mycotoxins which are harmful to humans and animals.

Using pneumatic rotary cannon sprayers

Controlling corn borer infestations is essential to achieve high yields and high quality.

Defence against the corn borer follows the criteria of guided and integrated pest management. Interventions with crop protection products consist of population control treatments to be carried out when the first-generation larvae appear, before they penetrate the culm. If necessary, the treatments can be repeated against second-generation larvae.

Timing and precision are essential for the success of the treatment. For this reason, field monitoring is necessary followed by the use of agricultural machinery for corn treatment.

Monitoring the corn borer is, in fact, a very important prerequisite for successfully containing the infestation. This is usually done by installing pheromone and light traps at the edges of the fields to detect the start of flights - and thus the presence of adults - and monitor the size of the population and how many are caught. Monitoring can be completed by directly observing the ovatures on the leaves.

Interventions with crop protection products are usually carried out using cannon sprayers for corn treatments or using sprayer bars which, unlike the former, have to enter the field to carry out the work, with the risk of damaging part of the crop.

The cannon sprayer with fan, Mig Top, is designed for the treatment of corn or similar crops and it is therefore the ideal solution for combating the corn borer quickly and effectively.

In fact, the powerful cannon fan with double suction ensures a range of 45/50 metres, while its 45° hydraulic rotation, together with the extension and vertical movement of the outlet head, allow for it to be positioned in the best possible way and to achieve a precise and extensive coverage without any damage to the crops.

In this way, it is possible to achieve an excellent coverage without having to enter the field and, therefore, without damaging the crop, which is thus saved from both the corn borer and from trampling by machinery.