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10-Minute Presentation

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

10-min: P-IE, IPM - Field Crops

Optimizing trap placement for improved Helicoverpa zea monitoring in sweet corn

Sunday, November 9, 2025
10:48 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific
Location: Oregon Convention Center, E143-144, OCC
Oral Presentation
Corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea Boddie, is a major pest of sweet corn in the eastern United States. Effective monitoring using pheromone-baited traps is critical for estimating moth abundance, informing integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, and improving pest control decisions. However, limited data exists on how trap placement, inside versus outside of the crop field, affects moth capture efficiency. This study aimed to determine the optimal placement of Heliothis Scentry traps paired with Hercon luretape in sweet corn, Zea mays var. The experiment utilized eight traps placed along the cardinal directions inside and outside a 0.52-acre sweet corn field during two sequential two-week periods to capture moth activity at tasseling and harvest maturity. Results from this study will provide insight into maximizing moth capture, accounting for environmental factors, and optimizing trap placement to enhance monitoring accuracy. Implications for improving guidelines on trapping strategies and pest management in sweet corn systems will be discussed.