Moths of Economic Importance in the Maize and Sugar Beet Production

Abstract

Maize and sugar beet productions are often threatened by various pests, causing high yield losses. Economically, most important maize pest is European corn borer, while sugar beet moth and noctuid moths cause serious damage on the sugar beet. This chapter highlights an introduction to several case studies representing long-term field research results on these pests. Depending on the pest, each study investigated the population level, dynamics of emergence or flight, damage levels and possibilities of forecasting on different localities in Croatia. The results could be of great importance in management of these pests. The European corn borer management depends mainly on timely conducted control, but the damage level also depends on maize hybrid and climatic conditions of investigated area. Damages caused by sugar beet moth depend on the population level and on locality's specific climate in a particular year. Sugar beet moth population and flight dynamics can be monitored by using pheromones, while pheromone application in forecasting and control showed to be disputable. Noctuid moths feed on the sugar beet foliage, causing high damages, especially on young plants. The damage level depends on the climatic conditions of the research area, and visual inspections of caterpillars are necessary for forecasting and control decision.

Journal of Plant Protection Research

“…Despite the control methods for lowering the population density of S. ocellatella, storage contamination continues to cause economic losses (Razini et al 2017;Bazok et al 2018). Obviously, sugar beet roots are targets for egg laying by S. ocellatella adult females.…”

Evaluation of the emergency authorisations granted by Member State Croatia for plant protection products containing thiamethoxam

“…The submission provided by Croatia in the form of data collection forms (see Appendix A) and one report (Croatia, 2021), was in line with the EFSA methodology (EFSA, 2017). Croatia also submitted an expert opinion necessity of neonicotinoids for seed treatment on sugar beet production in the Republic of Croatia (Bažok, 2018) The role of EFSA is to ensure that the methodology has been applied consistently. EFSA should review the summary provided by the concerned Member State and produce a Technical Report on the Member State notifications regarding their considerations justifying the need due to a danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means.…”

“… the Member State submission in the form of a report (Croatia, 2021);  an expert opinion on the consequences of the prohibition of neonicotinoids for seed treatment on sugar beet production in the Republic of Croatia (Bažok, 2018)  the comments received on the draft Technical Report by the concerned Member State (EFSA, 2021). EFSA Supporting publication 2021:EN-6967 The evaluation of non-insecticide alternatives and detailed information on possible reasons preventing or limiting the applicability of each method for the above outlined crop/pest combination are provided in the data collection forms in Appendix A.…”

AMMI Analysis of the Effects of Different Insecticidal Treatments against Agrotis spp. on the Technological Yield from Sugar Beet

“…Similarly, cutworms, or surface caterpillars, damage sugar beet plants and have negative impacts on obtained crop yields. Several species are known to damage sugar beet, including Agrotis spp., Euxoa spp., and Xestia c-nigrum (L.) Central and Northern Europe and the USA), Peridroma saucia (Hübner), Crymodes devastator (Brace), and Feltia ducens (Walker) (in the USA); in addition to those also mentioned the larvae of many other moths such as Hydraecia micacea, Loxostege sticticalis (L.), Scrobipalpa ocellatella Boyd, Spodoptera spp., and Pseudaletia unipunctata (Haworth) can also damage the foliage of beet plants [12][13][14][15][16][17][18].…”