Corn Producers Urged To Scout For Black Cutworms, Despite Lack Of "Significant" Flight

 

Pheromone traps are set up at various locations throughout the state in order to register when a "significant" black cutworm flight, which occurs when nine or more moths are trapped over a 2-day period, has taken place.

 

 

 

A significant flight indicates that these migratory insects have made their way into the area this spring and are in populations significant enough that it is likely that they have found a mate and laid eggs. The eggs will hatch in a period of between 5 and 10 days. Significant flights can alert ag professionals about when they might begin scouting their corn fields for injury and larvae to ensure that action can be taken before significant injury occurs.

 

The black cutworm trap at the Northwestern Illinois Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center (NWIARDC) has not yet registered a "significant flight" in 2015. However, traps in Illinois counties to the North have. Iowa State University Entomologists have also commented on the fact that unlike past years, this year fewer of the traps in their trapping network have captured significant flights. Regardless of the reasons behind the NWIARDC's lack of a significant black cutworm moth capture, corn producers in the area are urged to begin scouting corn for injury.

 

Although, hatching larvae are small, they go through several molts and can cause more damage the larger they become. Additionally, although some corn hybrids contain Bt traits that offer black cutworm protection, not all do. Checking out Michigan State University's Dr. Chris DiFonzo, Handy Bt Trait Table can help to narrow down which Bt traits provide protection against black cutworms and other insects.

 

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.