The “Save Corn” Committee met this Wednesday to analyze the situation of the crop in the province. He proposed applying a 90-day “sanitary vacuum,” among other strategies.
The “Save the Corn” Committee, made up of the Government and local technical and agricultural entities, met again this Wednesday to advance the evaluation of the impact of the “corn leafhopper” on the province’s crops.
At the meeting, the members decided to “convene representatives of the different provinces to share and design joint actions with the purpose of coordinating efforts at the regional level,” as reported.
This action will be directed to the jurisdictions of Salta, Santiago del Estero, Catamarca, Jujuy and Córdoba. The Committee is made up of CREA Regional NOA, the College of Agricultural Engineers, the Association of Agricultural and Livestock Producers of the NOA (Apronor), the Rural Society of Tucumán (SRT) and the Secretariat of Productive Development, in charge of Eduardo Castro.
The members of ‘Save the Corn’ prepared a situation report on the impact of the disease, a work that was presented to the Government. “The ‘stunting’ of corn (Spiroplasma kunkelii) is a disease that generates great concern in the productive areas of the country. The losses in the NOA region for the 2023-24 campaign are significant, in some cases it already reaches 100%, and in general the perspective of damage is estimated at more than 50%,” the group said in a statement.
The disease is transmitted by the insect vector Dalbulus maidis, known as the “corn leafhopper,” which feeds and multiplies only on plants of this species. It is a difficult insect to control and has certain peculiarities, such as its longevity (45 to 70 days), and the possibility in winter of taking refuge in any other crop and even remaining several weeks without feeding.
Adults protect themselves in the bud of the corn plant and have the ability to fly up to 500 kilometers aided by air currents. Therefore, the insect and the diseases it transmits require integrated management strategies at the regional level.
“In this scenario, corn production at the national level is at risk, a crop necessary for the sustainability of the system. To face this battle, all members of the production chain must work together, since it is essential to keep the pest population at the lowest possible level because, otherwise, problems will be registered again in the 2024/25 cycle. similar to those that occurred in the current campaign,” remarked “Save the Corn.”
“Sanitary vacuum”
The group indicated that it considers it essential to adopt a “sanitary vacuum” of 90 days “prior to the regional planting date (December-January), permanent control of guacho or voluntary corn and monitoring of the vector insect population prior to planting and during the initial stages of cultivation”
Also, with regard to management practices, he recommended choosing the hybrids least susceptible to the disease and concentrating sowing dates in the most appropriate months (late December to mid-January).
“In short, either we are all saved or no one is saved. We must consider that no isolated measure is effective. This is not a problem that can be solved individually. We have to learn to live with the pest, but the key is to learn to manage it to maintain a low population level that is controllable. Being able to reduce the population will be a reflection not only of better management at a comprehensive level but also and fundamentally of the widespread effort in the region, with coordinated work between the provincial governments being imperative,” the group warned.
