The purpose of this project was to provide a contained environment in which the feeding habits and resulting effects of various insects could be observed and evaluated including damage variations between plant hybrids/varieties, tillage practices, insecticides, and other factors. In the spring of 1995, a tan toot high 20 foot times 30 foot netted cage was purchased from Synthetic Industries of Ganesville, Georgia. A wood frame was constructed with adjustable height to support the netted material. Two three foot times six foot zipper doors were located in each end of the cage. The netting caused a 20% reduction in sunlight.
The project selected for 1995 utilizing this netted insect cage was one involving European Corn Borer resistant corn varieties. Eight rows of an alternating resistant and nonresistant CIBA corn variety were planted on May 1 at the Fayette County Farm. The cage was erected over the corn plot on June 19 and all corn plants were inoculated with European Corn Borer eggs on June 20 secured from Dekalb Research. Corn borer feeding differences between the resistant and non-resistant varieties were evident within a few days with the resistant variety exhibiting very little if any damage while the non-resistant variety showed a moderate amount of feeding damage and larvae present. This demonstration was used for discussion and insect educational purposes during four diagnostic field days conducted during the week of June 19 at the Fayette County Farm. In addition, this demonstration was featured during the wagon tours at the August 16 Southwest Ohio Corn Growers Field Day. For this field day the stalks of each variety were split in half vertically to show the difference in borer infestation and it created considerable interest. The resistant variety showed no borer infestation in the stalks. Yield checks were not taken because of damage to the plots caused by field day participants and the destruction of some plants for demonstrational purposes.
Possible future projects will include the use of soybean leaf and pod feeding insects, potato leaf hopper in alfalfa, disease transmitting insects, or the simple shading effect of the netting on crops.
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