Estimates of Damage by the European Corn Borer 

 To Grain Corn in the United States in 1970 



Compiled by the Economic Insect Survey and Detection Staff, 



PPD, ARS 



The loss to grain corn attributed to the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis ) 

 in 1970 is estimated to be approximately 195,885,000 bushels in 15 corn-producing 

 States. In these States the loss was 5.38 percent of the production. This loss is 

 approximately 4.76 percent of the total national crop estimated at 4,109,792,000 

 bushels. 1/ The value of the loss, based on the season average prices received by 

 farmers for corn 2/, is $250,178,000. These loss estimates are only for the States 

 shown in Table 1, and are based on the counties or districts surveyed during the 

 fall of 1970 within these States. 2/ 



Table 1 is a composite of State and Federal estimates. These estimates were pre- 

 pared by using production data 1/, and prices received _2/, released by the 

 Statistical Reporting Service. The basis for the loss estimates was determined 

 by the survey of European corn borer populations during the fall of 1970. ^/ 

 The index of 3 percent loss per borer per plant was used to compute the loss in 

 bushels . 



Estimated losses to grain corn for the past 19 years in States where the fall 

 abundance survey was conducted are as follows: 



1970 195,885,000 Bushels $250,178,000 



1969 163,501,000 " 182,509,000 



1968 154,554,000 " 161,287,000 



59,661,000 " 63,837,000 



121,236,000 " 155,876,000 



54,318,100 " 59,374,160 



87,116,000 " 97,478,000 



1963 120,647,000 " 127,838,000 



1962 88,245,000 " • 93,695,000 



1961 65,044,000 " 68,998,000 



1960 102,991,000 " 96,085,000 



1959 67,763,000 " 71,979,000 



1958 100,699,000 " 98,434,000 



1957 180,897,000 " 158,841,000 



1956 97,971,000 " 119,535,000 



1955 155,355,000 " 182,579,000 



1954 191,614,000 " 261,415,000 



1953 90,000,000 " 125,466,000 



1952 53,270,000 " 77,205,000 



\/ Crop Production, 1970 Annual Summary by States, Crop Reporting Board, 

 Statistical Reporting Service, USDA, December 18, 1970 „ 



2/ Crop Values, Season Average Prices Received by Farmers and Value of Production 

 1969 and 1970 - by States, Crop Reporting Board, Statistical Reporting 

 Service, -USDA, December 29, 1970. 



3/ Cooperative Economic Insect Report 21(5):47-54, 1971. 



1967 

 1966 

 1965 

 1964 



557 - 



