MANAGEMENT OF THE CORN SCARLET (DALBULUS MAIDIS) USING NEEM OIL ASSOCIATED WITH THE ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI BEAUVERIA BASSIANA AND ISARIA FUMOSOROSEA

Abstract

The corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) is an extremely aggressive pest, responsible for major damage to corn crops, making the search for new forms of control essential. The aim of this study was to assess the efficiency and agronomic viability of neem oil combined with two different fungi to control the pest in corn crops, as well as to record possible phytotoxicity effects resulting from the treatments. The experiment was conducted at the University research biocentre, latitude: -23.105, longitude: -50.3603 23° 6′ 18″ South, 50° 21′ 37″ and altitude of 440 m located in the municipality of Bandeirantes-PR, under controlled conditions in a greenhouse, in a randomized block design with 6 treatments and 4 replications.  An experimental hybrid was used, sown on 10/05/2023 with the following characteristics: 2 plant per pot, spacing of 0.5 m between pots and isolated from each other, corresponding to a population density of 60. 000 plants per hectare, the applications began on 26/05/2023 with the plants in stage V1, and followed an interval of 5 days between applications, with the second application carried out on 31/05/2023 (plants in V2), the third application carried out on 05/06/2023 (plants in V3) and the fourth application carried out on 10/06/2023 (plant in V4) and ending the trial with mortality assessments, since an average of 50 insects were inserted per pot.