In 2026, corn borer, cotton bollworm, and ear rot—among other corn pests and diseases—are expected to occur at a relatively severe level. The National Agricultural Technology Center has issued a control plan!

According to the forecast and analysis of the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center, in 2026, corn diseases and pests are expected to occur at a generally severe level nationwide. Pests such as the European corn borer, cotton bollworm, and armyworm are likely to be severely prevalent in localized areas of Northeast China and the Huang–Huai–Hai Plain, while ear rot poses a high risk of recurrence in the Huang–Huai–Hai region, Southwest China, and Northeast China. To ensure effective technical guidance for the prevention and control of major corn diseases and pests in 2026, this plan has been formulated.

I. Prevention and Control Strategies

Adhere to the principles of prevention first, comprehensive measures, joint prevention and control, and unified pest management. Coordinate the application of resistant or tolerant varieties, ecological regulation, physicochemical trapping and control, biological control, and judicious use of chemical pesticides; strengthen seed treatment with fungicides and implement integrated pest management during critical growth stages; deploy region-specific, green pest‑management technologies; keep overall yield losses from diseases and pests below 5%; effectively boost yields across large areas; and ensure both the safety and quality of corn production.

II. Target Groups for Prevention and Control

(1) Northeast Spring Corn Region: Focus on controlling corn borer, armyworm, cotton bollworm, two-spotted leaf beetle, aphids, spider mites, and underground pests, as well as diseases such as northern corn leaf blight, ear rot, gray leaf spot, northern anthracnose, white leaf spot, stalk rot, and nematode‑induced stunting.

(2) The Huanghuaihai Summer Maize Region. Key pests to be controlled include the European corn borer, beet armyworm, cotton bollworm, oriental armyworm, peach fruit borer, thrips, aphids, and spider mites, as well as diseases such as ear rot, southern rust, brown spot, small spot, Curvularia leaf spot, and stalk rot.

(3) Corn-growing regions in the Southwest and Southern Hills. Priority control measures should target fall armyworm, corn borer, peach fruit borer, cutworms, aphids, and spider mites, as well as diseases such as sheath blight, northern leaf blight, ear rot, leaf spot, and gray leaf spot.

(4) Northwest Corn Region: Focus on controlling underground pests, aphids, spider mites, cotton bollworms, corn borers, and the two-spotted long-legged leaf beetle, as well as diseases such as stalk rot, northern corn leaf blight, ear rot, and rust.

III. Prevention and Control Measures

(1) From sowing to the seedling stage: Strengthen control of underground pests, seedling-stage pests, and soil-borne and seed-borne diseases. For grubs, cutworms, wireworms, the two-spotted armyworm, and nematode‑induced stunting, use seed treatments formulated with neonicotinoid insecticides such as thiamethoxam or clothianidin, combined with chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole, or carbosulfan/bensultap, which also provide control of thrips, leafhoppers, fall armyworm, and beet armyworm. Prior to planting, eliminate stubble, clear residues, or remove mulch from the seed furrows to manage the two-spotted armyworm. For biological control, apply granular formulations of Metarhizium anisopliae or Beauveria bassiana in the seed‑fertilizer furrow. For root rot, sheath blight, stem rot, and smut diseases, prioritize disease‑resistant or tolerant varieties and employ seed treatments containing active ingredients such as metalaxyl‑manganese, difenoconazole, pyraclostrobin, thifluzamide, trifloxystrobin, fluxapyroxad, tebuconazole, or propiconazole. During seed treatment, a second coating may be applied based on the specific target pests and diseases; plant growth regulators like coronatine can be added to promote emergence and seedling growth and enhance stress tolerance.

(2) Booting stage. Strengthen control of leaf‑feeding and borers as well as foliar diseases. For pests such as the fall armyworm, beet armyworm, and corn borer, deploy insecticidal lamps, food attractants, and sex pheromone traps during the adult emergence period; at the onset of egg‑laying, release natural enemies like Trichogramma species or Telenomus remus to suppress eggs; in the early larval stages, prioritize biological pesticides such as Bacillus thuringiensis, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, nucleopolyhedrovirus, and azadirachtin for pest management; for chemical control, consider insecticides including chlorantraniliprole, flufenoxuron, cyantraniliprole, emamectin benzoate, spinosad, and tetrachlorantraniliprole, along with their formulated mixtures, to enhance efficacy against both larvae and eggs. At the early stages of diseases such as northern leaf blight, southern rust, gray leaf spot, brown spot, and sheath blight, apply fungicides like fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, propiconazole–azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin–tebuconazole, triazol–flutriafol, flusilazole, ammonium dithiocarbamate, Bacillus subtilis, and jinggangmycin; concurrently manage Curvularia leaf spot and brown spot, and, depending on disease severity, repeat spraying every 7–10 days.

(3) From tasseling and silk extrusion through grain-filling to maturity. Strengthen management of ear‑borne pests, leaf spot diseases, and ear rot. At the peak of aphid emergence, apply insecticides such as thiamethoxam, clothianidin, imidacloprid, or deltamethrin, while also controlling the two‑spotted longhorned leaf beetle; focus spraying on the undersides of leaves and around the female ears. In the early stages of spider mite infestation, especially under prolonged high temperatures and drought, use acaricides like etoxazole, with particular attention to the leaf undersides. For integrated control of corn borer, peach fruit borer, cotton bollworm, southern rust, and ear rot, consider fungicides such as pyraclostrobin, cyproconazole, and azoxystrobin, along with insecticides including chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole, emamectin benzoate, and deltamethrin; avoid application during the corn pollination period. Plant growth regulators may be added to enhance plant health, strengthen protection of functional leaves to prevent premature senescence, and reduce damage caused by borers and pathogen infections to the ear. After harvest, promptly sun‑dry and dry the crop to remove moisture, thereby minimizing pathogen infection and toxin accumulation, improving grain quality, increasing yield, and ensuring safety.

IV. Integrated Control Technologies

(1) Straw management and deep tillage for stubble control. Implement measures such as comprehensive straw utilization, chopping and returning to the field, deep plowing to incorporate residues into the soil, and pre-sowing stubble removal to manage straw and crop residues; in fields with severe pest and disease outbreaks, remove straw from the field.

(2) Select resistant (or tolerant) varieties. Based on the types of corn diseases and pests prevalent in the region, choose disease‑resistant or tolerant varieties to control stalk rot, ear rot, and leaf spot. In areas where biotechnologically bred varieties are cultivated, use approved genetically modified insect‑resistant corn varieties, while also strengthening management of non‑target pests.

(3) Seed treatment technologies. Based on the types and patterns of occurrence of underground pests, seed- and soil-borne diseases, and seedling-stage pests and diseases in different regions, select appropriate coated seeds or apply seed treatment agents for coating.

(4) Mid-to-late-stage “one‑spray, multiple‑boost” technology. From the late stage of heart leaf development to the early grain‑filling stage, based on the incidence of diseases and pests such as ear rot, leaf spot, corn borer, peach fruit borer, cotton bollworm, armyworm, beet armyworm, and the two‑spotted long‑legged leaf beetle, appropriately mix insecticides, fungicides, foliar fertilizers, and plant growth regulators. Emphasize alternating, rotating, and safe use of pesticides with different modes of action. In contiguous, large‑scale planting areas, it is recommended to employ high‑clearance boom sprayers or unmanned aerial vehicles for crop protection, thereby enhancing both the efficacy and efficiency of disease and pest management.

(5) Adult‑insect trapping and killing techniques. During the adult stage of highly phototactic pests such as Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, light traps can be used for control; for pests like the fall armyworm, corn borer, cotton bollworm, and armyworm, sex pheromone lures are effective; and for species including the fall armyworm, armyworm, cotton bollworm, and scarab beetles, food attractants can be employed in combination with trapping. Light, sex pheromone, and food‑based attraction techniques should be applied over large, contiguous areas, with particular attention paid to deploying light traps during peak adult emergence and active periods.

(6) Biological control technology using egg‑parasitizing wasps. During the peak emergence period of adult pests such as the European corn borer, cotton bollworm, peach fruit borer, and fall armyworm, select locally dominant species—e.g., Trichogramma pretiosum, Telenomus remus, and Trichogramma chilonis—and deploy parasitoid‑wasp balls via agricultural drones. Establish 5–8 release points per mu, releasing a total of 10,000–20,000 wasps per mu, and refrain from applying insecticides for 10 days before and after release.

Source: National Agricultural Technology Extension Network