Maize stem borer is a major pest of maize in many parts of Africa and causes significant yield losses every year. The maize stem borer is a moth and not a worm as the name suggests. It lays its eggs on the surface of young maize stems or under leaves near the base of the plant where they hatch into larvae that feed on living tissue. As well as chewing holes through stems causing them to die back, these pests also cause leaf discoloration which reduces photosynthesis efficiency and thereby reduces yields.
Maize stem borer is a pest that feeds on maize. It has been reported in virtually all countries where maize is cultivated, but it is more serious in Africa than elsewhere. It occurs mainly in lowland areas and attacks the lower parts of the plants, which are generally below ground level. The adults lay eggs singly or in batches of up to five on grass stems near maize stands or on weeds around them. Later, when these eggs hatch into larvae (which look like caterpillars) they burrow into and tunnel along the stems of maize plants until they reach their growing points–the places at which new leaves emerge from a stem each day, and feed there for some days before emerging again to mate and pupate (progressing through three stages). They may also feed inside husks if these are left on after harvesting. The damage caused by this insect can be considered as it causes poor growth for several weeks until new leaves replace those eaten away by boring pests – reducing yield significantly in some instances.
The maize stem borer is a major pest of maize in many parts of Africa and causes significant yield losses every year.
The maize stem borer is a major pest of maize in many parts of Africa and causes significant yield losses every year. It has many natural enemies, including ants, beetles, flies, and parasitic wasps. These predators keep stem borers under control in some areas.
Insecticides can be used to control stem borers but these work only when they are applied before larvae have entered the soil and moved into their tunnels. Once the larvae start feeding below ground they are protected from insecticides by earthworms that consume their frass (droppings).
The best way to control this pest is through integrated management techniques such as: crop rotation; trap crops; adult pheromone traps after harvest; sanitation measures; resistant varieties where available; composting stubble after harvest for at least three weeks during which time there will be no breeding by moths or ovipositing females.
Managing the Maize Stem Borer
Maize stem borer is a major pest of maize in many parts of Africa and causes significant yield losses every year. The maize stem borer is the most damaging insect pest of maize in Kenya, with an economic impact estimated to be more than 20% annually. Maize growers have had to rely on conventional insecticides for the management of this pest.
There are several management options available:
- Resistant varieties – this has been an effective tool but requires substantial research and development funds as well as access to quality seedlings that are not yet commercialized;
- Inoculative mating disruption (IMD) – this involves releasing sterile male insects into fields with high densities of susceptible females by using aircraft or ground vehicles;
- Use less toxic insecticides and improve cultural practices;
- Use biological control agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasitoids
Which Insecticide is Best for Maize?
The best insecticide is one that works against the particular pest you are trying to control. The following three options are available:
- Sonido (thiacloprid) seed dressing – applied at planting time, this will provide protection against stem borers until harvest or tillage in autumn. It should not be used on crops planted after July 1st in areas where maize is grown under dryland conditions.
- Nexter (imidacloprid/cyfluthrin) spray – has a limited residual effect and must be applied every 14 days during May-August depending on local climatic conditions, when larvae are small and feeding on leaf tissue near the plant base rather than inside ear shoots or cobs.
- Tiamet (esfenvalerate), Thimet (amitrole), and Imidan (aldicarb) granules for soil incorporation prior to sowing – these products provide good control of larvae when incorporated into the soil at seeding time but do not protect against adult emergence from pre-existing pupae located within crop stems or cob bases following plant death by autumnal drought stress or winterkill caused by snow cover in north temperate regions.
Is Stem Borer a Pest of Maize?
The spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus (Pyralidae), and Sesamia nonagrioides (Noctuidae) are serious pests of maize and sorghum.
The spotted stem borer is a pest in Africa and Asia. It can be found in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Botswana, and South Africa. In addition to these countries, it has also been recorded from India, China, Japan, and Pakistan. The fly lays eggs on the leaves of the plant before moving onto stems or ears when they start to grow. The larvae usually attack young shoots but if there are no leaves then they will chew holes into them instead which causes them to die off prematurely causing significant yield loss for farmers.
List of Insecticide For Maize Stem Borer
Maize Stem Borer is a common pest in maize, and it can severely damage or kill the plant if not controlled. The insect bores into the stem of maize plants at an early stage of their development, which causes them to wilt and die. This can lead to a significant crop loss, especially if you’re growing on a commercial scale.
To help prevent this from happening, you can use an insecticide that targets the larvae and eggs of Maize Stem Borer.
Efficacy of insecticides for the control of maize stem borer
Price: $49.00
Features :
Additional Info :
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 8.66 Inches |
| Width | 0.16 Inches |
| Length | 5.91 Inches |
| Weight | 0.24912235606 Pounds |
| Release Date | 2013-04-25T00:00:01Z |
FMC Talstar Pro 3/4 Gal-Multi Use Insecticide
Price: $58.69
Features :
Additional Info :
Nisus BORACARE
Price : $86.39
Features :
- Disodium octaborate Tetrahydrate (Borate) 40%
- How Bora-Care Works Boracare contains an inorganic borate salt, soluble in water, with insecticidal
- Wood Destroying Fungus, Termite Control, and wood-destroying insects such as termites, carpenter
Additional Info :
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 10.1 Inches |
| Width | 4.85 Inches |
| Length | 7.3 Inches |
| Weight | 12 Pounds |
Insect-resistant Maize: A Case Study of Fighting the African Stem Borer (CABI)
Price : $35.43
Features :
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns
Additional Info :
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 6.6 Inches |
| Width | 1 Inch |
| Length | 9.7 Inches |
| Weight | 1.9400679056 Pounds |
In Conclusion,
Maize stem borers are a serious problem for maize farmers. The pest can affect the plant’s ability to produce grain, and it can also cause the plant to be stunted. Insecticides are an important tool for controlling these pests, but they have certain limitations. In order to fully understand how best to use insecticides against maize stem borers, it’s important to know what they do and how they work.
Insecticides work by killing pests, either through contact with the insecticide or through ingestion of it. Some insecticides work by breaking down the cell walls of insects or bacteria, while others disrupt their nervous systems or metabolism. Different types of insecticides are effective against different pests, which means that you’ll need multiple types in your arsenal if you want to be able to control more than one kind of pest at once.