The granulate cutworm is primarily a pest of sugarbeet grown near alfalfa in the Imperial Valley. On occasion it migrates out of the alfalfa fields into sugarbeet where it can consume young plants or clip them off below the ground as they feed. Granulate cutworm moths have been found to lay eggs on sugarbeet, and hatching larvae kill plants by eating them to the ground or by clipping them off at ground level, thus reducing plant stands. They generally cause only minor damage at this point. If surveys indicate the presence of substantial numbers of cutworm in these crops, sugarbeet should not be planted.
Spring plowing and disking are also useful in reducing cutworm numbers.
Fields should be kept weed-free, particularly grassy weeds that serve as alternate host for cutworms. Cutworms may also build up in high numbers if grassy weeds are prevalent in the crop preceeding sugarbeets. Many of these natural control agents are not effective on pale western and black cutworms because of their subterranean nature. It is not known if any of these natural enemies can control cutworm populations, but their presence should be noted. No economic thresholds have been established for cutworms and the decision to treat depends on the severity of injury.