Producers must pay more attention to pests to ensure good yields in corn crops

Specialist warns of the importance of proper management in combating the increase in pests and diseases, especially in regions with hot, dry climatic conditions

Projections for corn planting for the 2024/25 harvest indicate positive growth for the crops. The National Supply Company (Conab) projects a total production of 119.63 million tons, 3.4% up on the previous harvest. Although the estimates are encouraging, producers must pay more attention to crop management, especially due to the increased incidence of pests and diseases that directly impact productivity and the quality of the harvest.

 

Bruno Arroyo, agronomist and Strategic Marketing manager at Agrobiológica Sustentabilidade, a company belonging to the Crop Care holding, comments that, initially, the producer must observe the ideal planting window. “Each region has its own specific window for sowing the second crop. If the producer exceeds this window, depending on the weather conditions, he could lose the crop’s productive potential. When this happens, it’s necessary to look at alternatives, such as planting more rustic crops like sorghum, or investing in soil improvement practices with cover crops, among other strategies,” he explains.

 

At this early stage of planting, Arroyo also highlights two resources that have shown good results in the corn crop: nutrient solubilizers and the Azospirillum brasilense inoculant. These products can be incorporated into the planting process to ensure good crop development, as well as improving the plant’s ability to absorb the available nutrients provided by fertilization. Bacillus aryabhattai is also gaining prominence in the growing demand for agricultural bio-inputs, as it is a microorganism that makes the plant more resilient to water stress. And the safrinha crop is highly susceptible to these climatic events.

 

According to data from Embrapa, more than 20 types of pest cause significant damage to corn crops. It is important to note that pests are equalized based on degree days, a measure that relates the temperature of the environment to the insect’s life cycle. In other words, the warmer the climate, the faster this cycle develops.

 

In this sense, 2025 could be a favorable year for an increase in pests, especially in the north-central region of the country, due to the mild winter and hot, dry weather conditions. These conditions favor the accelerated development of insects, creating a scenario of greater risk for crops.

 

Among the main challenges facing corn producers today, Arroyo highlights the cartridge caterpillar (Spodoptera frugiperda) and the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis).

 

“The cartridge caterpillar represents a serious problem for corn cultivation. Several Bt technologies used in corn hybrids have been compromised due to the strong selective pressure caused by this pest. In this context, bioinsecticides play a key role. One virus in particular has stood out in this strategy. The producer applies the bioinsecticide, formulated with a viral base, to the plants and, when they ingest the treated leaves, the caterpillars are controlled and eliminated by the virus,” he comments.

 

With regard to the corn leafhopper, he explains that, as it is a vector insect, there are no control levels for this pest. “This should alert growers to plan their corn leafhopper management from the beginning of the crop, around the V3 phenological stage, and to keep up the care until the plant sets seed,” he warns. “As well as blight, this pest has caused fumagina, a secretion that reduces the plant’s photosynthetic rates and, in more advanced stages, can damage the filling of the ear and the development of the grain,” he adds.

 

Recommendations for managing this pest include: avoiding “tiguera” corn, which provides shelter for the leafhopper and facilitates the insect’s reproduction; using yellow traps to detect the insect’s presence in the area; and using a combination of biological and chemical insecticides to reduce the pest’s resistance and increase control efficiency, especially in plantations where the incidence of leafhoppers is already very high.

 

“The fungus Isaria fumosorosea is currently the most widely used active ingredient. However, for a more assertive action to prevent and eliminate the pest, other agents combined in formulations, such as metabolites, spores and ready-made structures of the fungus in the product, make the application more efficient, and offer faster control, which is a differential for the producer,” explains Arroyo.

 

This type of differentiated formulation technology is called Bioshock and is present in the product Aptur, developed exclusively by Agrobiológica Sustentabilidade. According to the company, around 1.5 million hectares have already been treated with this technology, just to control corn leafhoppers.

 

About Crop Care

Crop Care is a Brazilian holding company that operates in the chemical, biological and specialty fertilizer input market. Among Crop Care’s companies are Agrobiológica Sustentabilidade, an innovative platform for biological and on-farm solutions; Perterra and K2, which have an extensive portfolio of post-patent agrochemicals; Union Agro, one of the leaders in specialty fertilizers; and Cromo Química, which specializes in producing high-performance adjuvants and enhancers for agriculture. Through partnerships with distributors and cooperatives, and direct access to agricultural companies, Crop Care is present in the major producing regions of Latin America. For more information, visit the website.

 

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