Corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, feeding preference and fitness consequences with sweet corn and hemp diets

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a recently legalized crop in the United States that is facing many challenges in outdoor growing systems. A major obstacle growers face is the control of corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea), as the larvae feed on the inflorescence, seeds, and leaves of the plant which can lead to pathogen introduction and significant yield loss. Corn earworm infestations are especially concerning for hemp growers due to the lack of chemical control options that have been approved. This leads to the need to discover novel pest management solutions for hemp, such as trap cropping. Trap cropping has shown to be an effective solution for managing pests in various other growing systems and is especially promising when using sweet corn as it is a preferred host for female corn earworm moth oviposition.