EN 
PT_BR 
Farmers in Paraná now have a new digital tool to monitor the presence of the corn leafhopper in their crops. CigarrinhaWeb platform, launched this Tuesday (10) during the Show Rural Coopavel, in Cascavel, centralizes the monitoring data of the insect that transmits the stunting complex, a set of diseases that generates loss of productivity, a drop in grain quality and, in severe cases, even the lodging of plants.
Secretary of Agriculture and Supply, Márcio Nunes: “This work is the result of a great partnership. As a rural producer, I know the challenges of the field and the damage caused by the leafhopper” – Photo: Press Release/Faep
Based on this information, producers and technicians will be able to define pest management and control strategies. This is because the platform provides a reliable overview of the insect's distribution and population density in Paraná.
The website also stores the historical series, creating a database for future research. “This work is the result of a great partnership. As a rural producer, I know the challenges of the field and the damage caused by the leafhopper. Therefore, I believe this tool is a valuable addition,” says the Secretary of Agriculture and Supply, Márcio Nunes.
The tool, which positions Paraná among the states with structured monitoring initiatives for one of the main pests of corn crops, is the result of the work of...
Secretary of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Nelson Bona: “This tool will help the productive sector not only in Paraná, but in Brazil, as it combats one of the main problems in corn production” – Photo: Press Release/Faep
The Paraná Network for Agricultural Research and Applied Training – Corn Stunting Complex (Rede CEM), formed by the Faep System, the Araucária Foundation, the Secretariat of Science, Technology and Higher Education (Seti), and the Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply (Seab), states: “This tool will help the productive sector not only in Paraná, but in Brazil, as it combats one of the main problems in corn production: the leafhopper.”
“The leafhopper causes producers to spend a lot of money, often without being effective. This platform will allow for increased productivity in the most important activity in Paraná. This delivery is a step forward in the field,” adds the president of IDR-PR, Natalino Avance de Souza.
President of IDR-PR, Natalino Avance de Souza: “This platform will allow us to increase productivity for the most important activity in Paraná” – Photo: Press Release/Faep
The fight against the corn leafhopper is a matter of productive and economic security. A recent study by the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA), the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), and the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina (Epagri) quantifies the impact of the pest.
Between the 2020/21 and 2023/24 harvests, losses reached US$25.8 billion in the country, with a loss of 22.71 tons of national production, equivalent to 31.8 million tons of corn per year. “The corn leafhopper is a threat to production. Supporting the development of this platform means equipping producers with up-to-date, real-time information. It is an investment in knowledge that transforms into a practical tool for the defense of our production, providing transparency and agility to the monitoring of this pest,” says the president of the Faep System, Ágide Eduardo Meneguette.
In practice
The website displays an interactive map showing the location of sticky traps installed in the regions of Paraná and the number of insects captured in each one, with weekly updates. The platform consolidates and makes public data that was previously restricted to individual producers or institutions. “In pesticides alone, US$76 million was spent in 2024 in the country. In other words, if the platform has an impact of 10%, this research will already pay for itself several times over,” highlights Luiz Márcio Spinosa, Director of Science, Technology and Innovation at the Araucária Foundation.
The sticky trap monitoring method is old and well-established. However, Paraná stands out as the only state to consolidate and make this data publicly available through an interactive digital platform.
Guidebook with guidelines
For years, the Faep System has been working to guide rural producers regarding the leafhopper. Even before... CigarrinhaWeb digital platformThis line of work generated the primer"Management of leafhoppers and stunting diseases in corn crops."
