The Western New York pheromone trap network is an affiliation of extension staff, consultants and farmers, who collaborate to monitor three important sweet corn pests throughout western New York. The information provides a valuable tool for farmers and their advisors, and helps minimize pest infestation at harvest with the lowest cost and impact on the environment. Trap data is collated each week and made accessible to users on email lists and on the Web. Interpretation of trap catches along with scouting and threshold information for fresh market sweet corn are included with the trap data. A survey conducted in 2006 indicates that farmers who have access to the trap network information are more satisfied with the quality of their corn, and more likely to use integrated pest management practices such as scouting, than farmers who do not have access to the information.

Three different lepidopterous pests infest sweet corn in New York, the European corn borer, which overwinters here, and has different flight patterns in different areas of the state, and the corn earworm and fall armyworm, which migrate into the area from the south each season. If not managed, infestation levels by one or more of these pests at harvest can be up to 100 percent, depending on the location and season. Without information about the flight patterns of the European corn borer, and the arrival time and numbers of the migratory pests, farmers may invest more in scouting and control costs than necessary, apply more insecticide applications than needed, or experience higher levels of pest infestation at harvest than is acceptable to their customers.

A network of pheromone traps for each of the three pests was established in 1993. Traps are set up at approximately 20 locations each season. Extension field staff, crop consultants, and farmers collaborate to set up and monitor the traps. Weekly counts are reported to Abby Seaman each week, who collates and posts the data, along with interpretation and scouting and threshold recommendations, on email lists and web pages (http://nysipm.cornell.edu/scouting/scnetwork, http://www.pestwatch.psu.edu/) where they can be accessed by farmers and their advisors. Trap catches are also included in weekly pest updates provided to farmers by vegetable Extension programs in the Western New York region.

A survey to determine the impact of the trap-network information on the pest- management practices of sweet corn producers in the area covered by the trap network was conducted in 2006. Eighty-six percent of responding farmers who have access to the trap network information reported being satisfied with the level of worm infestation at harvest compared with 66 percent for those who did not. Ninety-six percent of farmers who receive trap network information scout their fields compared with 73 percent of those who did not, suggesting that access to the trap network information increases the level of adoption of this important IPM practice. Because most of the farmers receive the information through their contact with local Cornell Cooperative Extension programs, that contact is also very likely to contribute to higher levels of IPM adoption. When farmers were asked what the impact on their sweet corn pest-management practices would be if the trap network information was not available, 26 percent indicated that they would spray more, 53 percent said they would need to do more scouting, 19 percent thought they would have more worm damage at harvest, 15 percent indicated that they would get their own traps, and 16 percent thought it would have no effect. The sweet corn pheromone trap positively impacts farmer success growing sweet corn, improves adoption of IPM practices, and reduces risk to the environment through fewer insecticide applications.

• John Gibbons, Robert Hadad (Cornell Vegetable Program)
• Julie Kikkert, Christy Hoepting (Cornell Vegetable Program)
• Molly Shaw (CCE of Tioga County)
• David Swaciak (CCE CCE of Cattaraugus/Allegany counties)
• David Munsee (CCE of Chautauqua county)
• Don Sweet (Crop Advantage)
• Jay Ruwet, Brian Boerman (Agricultural Consulting Service)
• Jason Sonneville (UAP Distributing)
• Adam Abers (Abers Acres)
• Jeff Kubecka (Kubecka Farm)