Are you considering planting Non-Bt Corn traits in 2017? Better plan for more scouting. With the lower market of corn there has been a lot of talk with reducing seed cost by planting Non- Bt Corn traits.
This may be an appropriate strategy for some people, but with the main concern of additional pest management practices that may be a concerned given the decision of using Non-Bt corn traits.
First, you should develop a plan to scout your non- Bt corn fields for insects during the growing season. The risk of insect injury to each field is hard to predict, but depending on crop history and field health, some fields may be susceptible for damaged every year. Monitoring the fields will be a critical part during the growing season so you do not see a yield decrease at harvest.
If you plan to use an insecticide rather than Bt traits for managing insect, make a plan how they will be applied. For example, corn rootworm insecticide would need to applied at planting time with either granular or liquid method.
Other questions to ask yourself before going this route:
Is your planter set up to comply to your needs/wants?
Post-plant insecticide applications may be applied by ground, air or chemigated. Do you have the equipment to do this or will you hire this done?
Do you have your pesticide applicator's license if you plan to apply insecticides yourself?
Are you able to identify insects correctly?
Do you have the time for these extra tasks?
All of these factors need to be considered before making the decision on going to a Non-Bt corn trait. Is it really saving you money in the long run?
Source: Corn & Soybean Digest & Google image
