Cutworms on Vegetables

We have seen a couple of cases of cutworm injury to vegetables in the last two weeks, and it is a good time to remind growers of the importance of scouting for this potentially damaging pest. Several species of cutworms are found in North Carolina, and they can cause serious damage to a wide range of crops including vegetables in both the home garden and commercial production. Cutworms are most damaging in the spring when they feed on young transplants or newly emerged seedlings. Depending on the species, larvae may be found in the soil around the base of plants or on foliage. Cutworms typically hide during the daylight hours and feed at night or on cloudy days. The black cutworm is one of the most destructive cutworms in North Carolina; it severs plant stems close to the soil surface and will move down rows feeding on multiple seedlings each night. This feeding can result in significant stand losses in a very short period of time.

Cutworms overwinter as larvae or pupae in the soil. Moths emerge in the spring, mate and lay eggs on weedy vegetation or crop plants. Conservation tillage and planting into fields where winter weeds were recently disked increases the risk of cutworm infestation. Destroying winter weeds at least two weeks prior to planting spring crops and managing the crop to ensure good seedling vigor will reduce the risk of losses from cutworms.

It is important to scout seedling vegetables regularly for cutworm damage. Prevention is the first line of defense against this pest, but chemical control is often needed when infestations occur. Refer to the North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual (http://ipm.ncsu.edu/agchem/agchem.html) for cutworm management recommendations in specific crops.

From: Mark Abney, Extension Entomologist