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Pheromone Applications in Maize Pest Control

In this chapter we intended to show that the potential use of the pheromones (scouting, monitoring, or optimal timing of insecticide application) depends on both: the pest and the pheromone. The case of the three most important corn pests for the region of South Eastern Europe: wireworms, western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte and European corn borer (ECB) Ostrinia nubilalis Hubn. will be discussed. Before any decision on control measures against wireworms possible damages should be predicted. By using pheromone traps for eight most important European species of the genus Agriotes in western part of Croatia five species were found. The distribution and population level of these species was established on 2 fields in central Croatia between 2001-2005. Beside pheromones on the same fields larvae were sampled by soil sampling and by bait traps. The use of pheromone traps for wireworm pest management is attractive because of the clarity of the data they yield. There are several possibilities to use pheromones in developing IPM against wireworms: (1) monitoring and investigation in wireworm biology and ecology ; (2) use of pheromones as decision tool for predicting damages and necessity for the control ; (3) distribution modeling ; (4) trapping of males as a control option. There are numerous options, but all of them require further work before consistent interpretation of results could be possible. WCR is an invasive species found for the first time in Europe in 1992. The first finding of sex pheromone of WCR dated in 1973. After the first finding the pheromone lure was produced by European scientists and pheromone trap for monitoring purposes was designed. This trap was used in Croatia for monitoring in the period between 1996 and 2006. Each year thetraps were set up in corn fields (between 30-140 fields/year). Together with pheromone the yellow sticky traps (Pherocon AM or Multigard) were installed. Pheromone traps showed to be more suitable for monitoring and prediction of population increase, but, for the scouting purposes, yellow sticky traps showed to be more acceptable. The investigation carried out in Croatia from 2002 to 2004 showed that the time of the flight of the ECB in Croatia was very variable and has changed considerably since previous years. The type E of commercial pheromone lure showed higher attractiveness than Z or E/Z types in North West Croatia. In North Croatia, E/Z and E pheromone types showed to be more attractive than Z type. Pheromones should not be used to determine intensity of the infestation, but to set the period of the maximum incidence of the moth, on the basis of which information the period of the application of insecticides is set.

control; european corn borer; maize; monitoring; pheromones; western corn rootworm; wireworms

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