Corn Earworm
A strong cold front is predicted to continue to move east across the corn-growing region in the next few days. Ahead of the cold front, south to southwest winds may pose an isolated corn earworm migration threat especially along and east of I-35 and mainly west of I-75 and along/north of I-80 tonight into tomorrow morning, or from eastern Iowa and Minnesota east into lower Michigan and far northwest Ohio. As the front moves east tomorrow into Thursday, greatest migration risks will focus across the far eastern Midwest and Great Lakes region from southeast lower Michigan and eastern Indiana east into Ohio, Pennsylvania, southern Ontario, Canada and western New York. Corn earworm moth counts are already increased due to flights in the last few weeks, so growers with fields still at susceptible stages to damage should continue to monitor traps and field activity. The fresh-market and processing groups are at most risk now as most field corn is past critical growth stages. No additional corn earworm migration risks are predicted past Thursday morning as cooler air and northwest winds are predicted to dominate through late week and into next weekend.