MANEJO COM INSETICIDAS DE NOVA GERAÇÃO E INDUTORES DE RESISTÊNCIA PARA O CONTROLE DE Dalbulus maidis

Abstract

The corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is the main vector of pathogens that limit sweet corn productivity in Brazil. The use of new-generation insecticides, combined with different numbers of applications and distinct active ingredients, as well as plant resistance inducers, remains an underutilized control strategy. Both approaches are aligned with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and can reduce the negative impacts caused by maize rayado fino virus, one of the major pathogens in sweet corn vectored by D. maidis in the state of Goiás. This study evaluated the effectiveness of integrated phytosanitary management strategies involving the number of insecticide applications with different modes of action, with or without the association of the resistance inducer acibenzolar-S-methyl, for controlling D. maidis and mitigating virus-related damage in a sweet corn hybrid (cv. GSS0227) under field conditions in southern Goiás, Brazil. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design and included eight treatments in a 3×2+2 factorial scheme, corresponding to the number of insecticide applications (one, two, or three), the absence or presence of acibenzolar-S-methyl, plus a negative control and a positive control, respectively. The evaluated parameters were the number of corn leafhoppers per whorl, assessment of maize rayado fino virus symptoms, and agronomic and marketable traits of sweet corn. The association between insecticides—especially verdavis® (plinazolin® + lambda-cyhalothrin)—and bion® led to significant reductions in D. maidis density and in the incidence of stunting diseases and maize rayado fino virus symptoms, as well as gains in vegetative vigor, yield (up to 25 t ha⁻¹), and processing yield (>48%). These results indicate that combining chemical pesticides with resistance inducers enhances crop performance and reinforces the effectiveness of IPM as a sustainable tool to address phytosanitary challenges in sweet corn production.