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BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s government said on Tuesday a scientific institute had decoded the genome of the leafhopper, an insect that carries a bacterium responsible for widespread losses in the South American country’s latest corn season.
The advance, which identifies the genetic makeup of Dalbulus maidis, will aid future efforts to combat leafhoppers, according to a government statement.
Experts believe the surge in leafhopper numbers in recent months is largely due to the lack of frost during last year’s southern hemisphere winter, which likely wiped out the insects.
The tiny bugs suck the plant’s sap and spread a bacteria that causes corn stunt disease, which results in ears of this staple grain crop with loose or missing kernels.
The Rosario Grain Exchange expects local farmers to harvest 47.5 million metric tons of corn in the 2023/24 season, about a fifth less than initially estimated due to losses caused by leafhoppers.
“This research will help us understand the biology and evolution of this insect, which in turn will help predict and mitigate future outbreaks,” the statement said, adding that the scientific advance could also lead to the development of new genetically modified corn varieties that are resistant to leafhoppers.
Farmers may plant smaller corn fields in the 2024/25 season because of pest damage, but fall and winter frosts should improve the crop’s prospects, agricultural analysts said.
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