Epagri indicates controlled situation of corn leafhopper in SC

A survey carried out by the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina (Epagri) and partners in the Monitora Milho SC 2025/26 Program indicates an infestation of corn leafhoppers (Dalbulus maidis) within the expected range in the state's crops. The study was conducted on 50 properties, with an average of 5,41 leafhoppers per trap. 

"We're in our fifth year of monitoring, which allows us to establish well-defined comparative parameters for each phase of cultivation. Therefore, we can state that these values are within expectations for the implementation period, when many crops are still under cover cropping," explains Maria Cristina Canale, a researcher at Epagri and the Center for Research on Family Farming (Cepaf). 

Furthermore, monitoring did not detect the presence of bacteria associated with stunt disease (red stunt phytoplasma and pale stunt spiroplasma). Maria Cristina emphasizes that "this is good news, as the bacteria are quite aggressive at this stage." However, the presence of the streak virus was identified in samples collected in the cities of Mafra, Bom Jesus do Oeste, and Tunápolis. Producers are recommended to initially manage their crops with chemical insecticides, supplementing with biological products whenever possible.

The Monitora Milho SC program collects and disseminates weekly information from across the state, allowing the production sector to monitor the evolution of the leafhopper population and infections caused by these insects. The initiative began in 2021, focusing on monitoring crop conditions and preventing attacks by infected leafhoppers from compromising the state's corn production. 

Application supports farmers 

With the free downloadable Epagri Mob app, producers and technicians in Santa Catarina can monitor the incidence of corn leafhoppers in Santa Catarina to make more informed management decisions. This tool also provides information on the leafhopper's infectivity with the pathogens of the corn stunt complex: red stunt phytoplasma, pale stunt spiroplasma, and corn stripe virus.

For Maria Cristina, the information generated by monitoring is crucial for agriculture's ability to cope with the leafhopper and the diseases it transmits. "Although corn stunts have been known in the country for decades, we've observed that outbreaks caused by these problems have been quite frequent in all of Brazil's producing regions. Therefore, the production sector must now address this problem, including here in Santa Catarina, with the active participation of all producers involved in corn production, through integrated regional management," she concludes.

Information about the Monitora Milho SC Program can be accessed on Epagri Mob. To do so, simply access the home screen, click the "Environmental Information" icon, and then the Monitora Milho SC link. In this area, you can find updated bulletins and monitor the corn leafhopper population levels in different regions of Santa Catarina.

Users also have access to other publications, technologies, Epagri units, weather forecasts, cold monitoring, and information on diseases in vines and apples.