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Corn leafhopper detected in Texas, Corn Belt on alert

Experts say corn stunt disease carrying corn leafhoppers have already been found in Texas this year.

Ivair Valmorbida, extension entomologist at the University of Missouri, says there appears to be no signs of the pests so far in the Corn Belt.

“Especially by the Rio Grande Valley, it’s one of the locations where corn leaf droppers are able to overwinter in the U.S.”  He says, “There is a concern that they could move up to Missouri again. There’s a lot of things that we don’t know in terms of its biology and migration behavior.”

UM extension specialist Mandy Bish tells Brownfield the discovery of the disease in Missouri and Oklahoma last year has corn growers on alert.

“It started out in southwest Missouri and that’s where it was concentrated in July, but by harvest season and we received pictures of people combining in northeast Missouri and you could see the corn leaf hoppers flying everywhere.”  She says, “So, it spread throughout the state.”

Valmorbida says the insects spread a bacterial pathogen which causes purpling in the leaf tips, stunted plants, and abnormal ears.

“Once they see a report that they’re moving up, I would recommend growers scout the fields, especially if corn is before V-8 growth stage,” he says.

Bish says it’s impact in the U.S. last year is not fully known, but the disease has caused significant yield loss in South America.

“In Argentina, where this has been a problem, they have seen substantial yield losses.”  She says, “Seventy percent yield losses in late planted corn. So, it can be a real challenge in years where it’s very bad there.”

Both say corn stunt disease has lesser yield impacts if it’s introduced later in the crop’s life cycle.

A link to a corn leafhopper detection map can be found HERE.

AUDIO: Ivair Valmorbida – University of Missouri