Corn Earworm
Corn earworm migration risks are in the forecast for the next five days as low pressure becomes organized in the northern Rockies and Plains region. High pressure currently located in the heart of the corn-growing region is expected to move off into the eastern and southeastern United States, and this will allow southerly winds to initially return to the Plains states to the east of the low pressure center by tonight and tomorrow morning. Low risks are in place for this time period mainly across Kansas and Nebraska but also includes southern portions of South Dakota, southwest Minnesota, and extreme western Iowa. The low risk area expands east by Thursday night and Friday morning and includes northwest Missouri, Iowa, southern Minnesota, and points west. By the weekend and into early next week, a cold front is predicted to begin pushing east through the corn-growing region. South to southwest winds will continue to the east of the front and precipitation near the front may serve as an insect drop zone region. Corn plants are not at a stage susceptible to damage at the present time so risks are kept low, but the weather pattern is expected to be favorable for migration especially Saturday night into Sunday across the Plains and western corn-growing region and then spreading east into the Great Lakes region and eastern Midwest by early next week.