Problems of Sustainable Agriculture with Regard to the Destruction of the European Corn Borer in Maize Plantations

This article describes the results of the studies related to the occurrence of the European corn borer ( Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn ) pest carried out at the Technical University of Bydgoszcz. The studies concerned the real occurrence of the pest in corn stubble ( cultivated variety SY Collosseum ). The research issue undertaken is in line with an IPM (integrated pest management) system and is important since the feeding of the European corn borer can lead to large, direct yield losses estimated nationally at an average of up to about 20%, which does not differ significantly from that of world crops. Corn, for the purposes of this study, was harvested for green fodder in September, and for grain in November 2022, using a John Deere X9 1110 harvester. The average stubble height when cut for green fodder was 280 mm, while for grain it was 265 mm. The experimental studies conducted clearly showed that European corn borer larvae colonized as much as 12% of corn samples harvested for grain at an average stubble height of 155 mm, and 19% of corn samples harvested for grain at an average height of 75 mm. The conducted studies also showed that the average diameter of the stems at the height of the residence of the corn borer larvae when harvested for green fodder is 19.80 mm, and 21.80 mm for grain. The studies conducted by the authors showed the randomness of the locations of the pest larvae, which clearly indicates that the generally known and used mechanical methods of its control are not fully effective. Therefore, the authors presented their own design of a machine construction (filed with the patent office of the Republic of Poland) for destroying the European corn borer in a mechanical way without the use of crop protection chemicals. The presented research problem in this paper is of national and global importance considering the fact that corn is grown on an area of nearly 162 million hectares, where we have to deal with the European corn borer pest. In the case of implementing the design of the construction of a machine for destroying the pest, there will be no need to use chemical pesticides, which will significantly contribute to environmental protection.