The first bulletin for the 2024/25 harvest on corn leafhopper monitoring in Santa Catarina brought good news for farmers. The main pathogens of the stunt complex were not found in the first evaluation. This information is crucial for the safety and productivity of corn crops in the state.
Maria Cristina Canale Rappussi da Silva, a researcher at Epagri, highlighted that only the striate mosaic virus was detected in insect samples. This virus, still little known, was recently associated with the corn leafhopper. The researcher highlighted that, although the impact of this virus on the plant still needs to be studied, it should not cause major losses.
The Monitora Milho SC program was created in 2021 with the aim of monitoring the corn leafhopper and associated pathogens in crops in Santa Catarina. The program is an initiative of the Action Committee against Corn Leafhopper and Associated Pathogens, made up of several institutions, including Epagri, Udesc, Cidasc and others.
Maria Cristina explained that the monitoring aims to inform producers, cooperatives and technicians about the situation of the corn leafhopper and the natural infectivity of these insects. The objective is not to issue warnings or application recommendations, but rather to provide information so that producers can be alert.
Monitoring of the 2024/25 harvest will include 40 weekly bulletins, covering 60 corn crops in Santa Catarina. The first bulletin reported a low incidence of leafhoppers in the areas assessed, possibly due to the winter period, which may have helped to reduce the insect population.
Maria Cristina also mentioned the good management of tiguera corn, plants that grow spontaneously during the off-season. These plants can harbor infected leafhoppers, compromising the next harvest. The low presence of the insect in crops is an indication that producers are managing these plants well.
Monitoring will continue during the harvest and off-season, with the active participation of Epagri, Cidasc and Udesc, who contribute with infectivity analyzes and scientific support.
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