Characteristics and damage of leafhopper
Among the problems caused by the pest are direct and indirect damage. The direct damage that the leafhopper can cause is damage to the plants, as it is a sucking insect. Indirect damages, on the other hand, are the ones that bring the greatest consequences, reaching up to 70% loss in some situations. When infected, it can transmit phytopathogens such as Molicutes, Phytoplasma (Maize bushy stunt phytoplasma) and Spiroplasma (Spiroplasma kunkelii), microorganisms that are responsible for the red and pale stuns respectively, in addition to the fine striped (Maize fine rayed-MRFV).
The symptoms of stunting appear in the production phase of the crop, with reduced ear and grain size, smaller amount of grain, multispiking, leaf discoloration, reddish and/or pale leaves and plants with reduced size due to the shortening of internodes . Symptoms are expressed according to the level of susceptibility of the hybrid, population of infected leafhoppers, stage at which the plant was infected and management carried out in the area and region.
Control and management of leafhopper
For the management of leafhopper, no single measure will be sufficient to achieve success, the main points being:
Elimination of voluntary corn plants;
Monitoring through traps;
Synchronization of sowing time by regions;
Crop rotation;
Seed treatment with neonicotinoid products;
Asset rotation in applications with chemical and biological insecticides.
It is essential to start with insecticide applications from pre-planting desiccation to the VT stage of the crop, if the presence of the pest is found. The use of fungicides in advance (V6) is another tool that will help to reduce the impacts caused by stunting.
Among the chemical actives registered, some products used were up to 80% effective in some situations, and this effectiveness will depend on the conditions at the time of application and infestation. Among studies carried out, it was clear that, in addition to the importance of rotating mechanisms of action, the application interval is decisive in the efficiency of the products, this interval being 3 -7 days, as it will be determined by the population and level of susceptibility of the hybrid used.
Conclusion
Only the adoption of complementary strategies to combat corn leafhopper will define the success of the crop. Aware of the damage caused by the pest, 3tentos is part of the “Squad Fighting Cigarrinha”, a collaborative network between farmers, distributors and consultants who are monitoring the progress of the insect in Rio Grande do Sul. We are together in this fight. Always partners!
