Corn Earworm
A low pressure system and associated cold front are predicted to develop across the Plains states this weekend and then move northeast across the western and upper Midwest by early next week. With the overall weather pattern still dominated by northwest flow, the risk of a larger-scale corn earworm migration event occurring with this front is pretty low. Nonetheless, Low risks are in place initially across the Plains and into the western Midwest and even portions of the upper Midwest in southern Minnesota and Wisconsin Sunday night into Monday as some isolated moths may travel from mid-south source regions that far north. The risk then shifts east as the front moves southeast early next week, with fields mainly in the southern Great Lakes and eastern corn-growing regions generally east of I-55 in Illinois at risk. Growers should be advised that some source region trap counts are now increasing which indicates corn earworm moth populations are becoming active. Continue to monitor subsequent forecasts for the latest information on potential moth flights as we move ahead this growing season.