A New AnswerTo Tiny WormsThat Cause Farmers Big Problems (NAPSA)—Manyof the farmers who supply America’s food at fair prices have a new way to deal with an old trouble. Tiny worms can cause big problems for corn farmers. Corn earworms are one of the most destructive ear-feeding pests that farmers face—just three damaged kernels per ear can result in a yield loss of one bushel per acre at harvest. This can take a big toll on a farmer’s bottom line. Historically, farmers have had few options to help protect their crops from this voracious eater. For the first time, farmers now have a proven line of defense against the destructive corn earworm. By providing maximum protec- tion against pests, this next-gen- eration insect protection helps farmers do what they do best even better. The new technology provides them with new levels of insect protection that can enhance grain quality and reduce risk. New DEKALB*brand Genuity™ VT Triple PRO™ corn technology gives farmers a new defense against pests, including the previously uncontrolled corn earworm. B. Rogers Leonard, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center research professor, warns that corn earworm can be very destructive on the farm. “The South has a longer production season than the northern corn belt, so it typically has more severe pest problems,” he explains. “This new technology should prove to be very beneficial for the southern U.S. grain industry, as it will provide broad-spectrum protection against foliage- and grainfeeding caterpillar pests, which previous technologies have not consistently suppressed.” Corn earworm is one of the most destructive pests that farmers face. But armed with the latest technology, farmers finally have whatthey needto fight back. “Historically, we have ignored corn earworm because there has been no economic way to protect against it,” says Dr. Bob Wright, research and extension entomologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “By the time farmers saw injury on their corn ears, it was too late to control.” Kenneth Barnes, who farms in Tennessee and Kentucky, is optimistic that advanced earworm control will mean greater yield and profit potential for farmers. “I’m confident the new technology will help our insect problems,” he says. “T think it will also give us a betterquality product and therefore put more moneyin our pockets.”
