Corn Leafhoppers Not a Problem for Corn Production in Argentina

The 2024/25 corn crop in Argentina has been spared from the ravages of corn leafhoppers (Dalbulus maidis), at least for the time being. According to the National Network of Monitoring of Corn Leafhoppers, there is a low level of infestation in northern Argentina and almost no infestation in central Argentina.

This is in direct contrast with the 2023/24 growing season when corn leafhoppers resulted in devastating losses for corn growers, especially in their late planted corn. The losses were so severe that many farmers reduced their corn acreage in 2024/25 in favor of more soybeans out of fear that the insect would return during the 2024/25 growing season.

Early in the growing season, the leafhopper monitoring system indicated that the pest numbers were down 90% compared to the start of the 2023/24 growing season. This is good news for corn farmers in Argentina since their corn crops are currently suffering from hot and dry conditions that have already resulted in lower corn yield potentials.

Outside of a few areas in northern Argentina, corn leafhoppers do not represent a problem for Argentina corn producers. The National Monitoring Trap Network indicated that in the 409 locations monitored between December 22 and January 7, only several locations in northern Argentina recorded any significant pest activity.

The highest number of insects were recorded in the provinces of Chaco and Formosa. In the north-central and south-central locations of Argentina, more than 94% of the locations indicated no insect activity.

Farmers still need to monitor their fields especially where there is early planted and late planted corn in close proximity because the insect migrates from early developing corn to later developing corn. In Uruguay, the network monitors 10 locations with only one reporting the presence of leafhoppers.

The National Network of Monitoring of Corn Leafhoppers is an initiative prompted by the Argentina Association for the Professional Protection of Extensive Crops (AAPPCE), the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) among others.

Tags: corn leafhoppers, corn, crop, Argentina