Shot, there are number of registered pesticides tageting, corn rootworms, corn borers and the like that are applied pre-emergence. Everything that I know about for corn earworm, has to topically applied shortly after silking. I checked the American Vegetable Grower pest and disease control guide but could not find anything. He may have been thinking of root worms or borers. Lots of products for those.

Spraying before planting is for corn root worm. It's not for corn earworm. A different insecticde is applied when corn is in silk for corn earworm.

Okay, thanks guys. Maybe I will plant a small area of sweet corn so I can keep it watered and sprayed. Last year I had about an acre each and I can't see this old man walking up and down each row with a back pack sprayer.

Thanks again.

Shot

From what I have read, corn earworms are more of problem in later plantings of corn. Your early corn should not be affected that much.