Eliminating Tiguera corn is essential to protect soybeans

With the second corn harvest coming to an end in Mato Grosso do Sul, concern over the occurrence of tiger corn is raising alarm among producers. These unintentional plants appear shortly after harvest and pose a threat to soybeans by competing for space, light, water, and nutrients. They also act as a green bridge, serving as a shelter for insect pests and promoting the development of diseases.

The tiguera corn cycle begins with seeds remaining in the soil or grains lost during harvesting, which germinate and develop in commercial soybean fields. Among the main insect pests that tiguera corn can harbor are leafhoppers, caterpillars, and stink bugs. These insects have the potential to migrate to other crops or remain in the area until the next agricultural cycle, increasing the need for chemical control and, consequently, production costs.

Chapadão Foundation researcher Tatiane Lobak emphasizes that, to avoid productivity losses in both soybean and corn, assertive weed management is essential. "With the rains, we'll see different emergences of tiger corn plants, which serve as shelter and food for pests. Therefore, it's important for producers to start new soybean crops in the clear, free of tiger corn and other weeds, to maintain productivity," she explains.

The main control actions include the correct disposal of harvest residues, mechanical control, strategic application of selective herbicides and crop rotation.