The adult, a small grayish brown fly, is active early in the spring and lays small batches of eggs wherever there is a lot of organic material on the soil surface. The larval stages, or maggots, are scavengers that feed primarily on decaying plant matter. They will attack and destroy swollen seeds or germinating seedlings that they encounter. The life cycle from egg to adult takes about three weeks. There are several generations per year.

Damage

    Seedcorn maggots can be damaging to fields planted early, especially in cool, wet soils planted using reduced tillage practices. The maggots tunnel into seed, destroying the germ. A riddled seed is the common symptom. Damage is usually randomly scattered over the field and appears as skips in the stand.

Assessment

    Seed treatments are recommended for fields that do not receive a soil insecticide at planting time. There is no rescue treatment.

Recommendations