AFFECT OF EUROPEAN CORN

BORER ON YIELD OF CORN

Introduction
The European Corn Borer (ECB) is a major corn insect pest.
The adult moths of the ECB emerge from the pupae and mate during
April and May, Each female lays up to 600 eggs in small masses on the
underside of leaves. As the larvae hatches it starts feeding on leaf surface
and as soon as they get mature they begin boring into midribs of leaf
surface followed by stalks or ear boring. This process continues until
pupation. In the warmer southern state, the ECB may complete 4
enerations per year. Mature larvae overwinter inside tunnel in stubble,
stalks, ears or other protective plant material. They pupate in spring.
Corn plants are flowering and fruitbearing glass plants. A corn plants
begins as a seed weighing about 0.28g. In less than 10 weeks, it grows
into plant seven to ten feet tall (2-3 meters).
The raw materials for plants to grow and carry out the necessary
metabolic process are water, macronutrients and micronutrients from
the soil, and Co2 and O2 from the air. Plants that are deficient in mineral
will grow poorly and will show signs of deficiency characteristics of that
mineral. Plants use energy from sunlight to carry out process of
photosynthesis, which is a biochemical reaction in which water and Co2
are converted to carbohydrates and oxygen.
Pest affects the crop yield by causing feeding damage such as holes or
notches in foliage and other plant parts, leaf skeletonizing, leaf
defoliation, cutting plants off the soil surface, or consumption of roots.

Research question
Investigate to what extent infestation at different level of European corn
borer affect the yield of corn in 140 days?

Hypothesis
As per the assumption, addition of ECB at different level (low & high)
would affect the yield of corn because corn will have small amount of
kernels which will affect the condition in which corn will grow. A corn
plant goes through a series of phonological stages during its growth and
development. During these stages, the plant uses its resources in rapid
growth areas and for general plant maintenance. The plant's ability to
withstand stress varies during plant growth stage; the stage(s) at which it
is attacked influences its ability to deal with injury from the European
corn borer's feeding and subsequent yield reductions. The corn plant is
susceptible to European corn borer attack and injury after the 6th-leaf
stage through physiological ear maturity. (Iowa State university)

Variables
Independent Variable How will it be manipulated How will the IV be controlled

(manipulated/changing factor)

Level Of ECB infestation By changing level of ECB ECB can be kept- high

-low

-none

Dependent Variable How will it be measured How will it be measured in a

(method) consistent, controlled manner
(What will be measured)

Yield of kernel weight Per ear of corn on each plant By weighing it

Controlled Variable How will it be controlled How would this variable affect
the data if NOT controlled
(external variables that need to
be kept constant in each trial)

Soil By same soil for each plant If soil is not controlled some
plants may get more nutrients
and some may get less.

Nutrients By providing them required If not given then it might kill the
nutrients plants
Watering amounts By supplying proper amount of If not supplied proper water it
water might not grow

Light condition By keeping it in sunlight It will not get light and will not be
able to grow

Apparatus and materials

European Corn Borer, Seeds (Super Harvest, Golden Corp, BT-456, BT-
123), 6 weighing dishes, 6 pots, 2 growth chamber, Balance
 Procedure
1. Four sorts of seed assortment will be set in various holders in three
pots to be developed in 140 day and age. a. Super harvest b. Golden corn
c. BT-123 d. BT-456
2. All seed assortments will experience three unique sorts of ECB
invasions. (None, Low, High)
3. Toward the finish of the 140 days the yield of bit shape the ear of plant
will be weighed.

Data Collection
Corn variety Level of ECB Growing pot Growing pot Growing pot Average
infestation 1 2 3 yield
Yield yield yield
Golden corn None 181.6 182.8 189.8 184.7
Golden corn low 177.9 171.2 170.6 173.2
Golden corn High 135.4 139.6 138.3 137.7
BT-123 None 160.1 164.8 164.2 163.0
BT-123 Low 164.0 162.6 168.3 164.9
BT-123 high 155.1 163.0 163.9 160.6
BT-456 None 190.0 183.2 184.8 186.0
BT-456 Low 178.8 172.6 179.6 177.0
BT-456 high 157.3 157.0 159.0 157.7
Super None 164.1 164.3 161.9 163.4
harvest
Super Low 159.1 155.0 157.5 157.2
harvest
Super high 125.5 129.0 130.0 128.1
harvest

Conclusion
All through the trial each plant blocked none, low, and abnormal amounts
of ECB. My speculation was right in view of the result of the trial. The
information that I have gathered confirms that the seed assortment Super
Collect did the most exceedingly bad with the invasion, the high ECB was
128.1g. BT-123 did the best becoming through the pervasion, the high
ECB was 160.6g. At that point the BT-456 seed had a high ECB of 157.7g
and Brilliant Harvest was 137.7g. In conclusion ECB is not the response
for healthy corn crops.

Applications
European Corn Borer (also known as European highflyer), is a pest of
grain. This insect is native to Europe, infesting varieties of maize,
including broom corn. It was first reported in 1917 in North America in
Massachusetts.

ECB caterpillar damage ears of corn, as well as stalks, by chewing tunnels.

Which cause plant to fall over.
It feeds over 300 different green plants.