Signalling of Agrophages Platform

Maize monitoring

Maize is one of the major crops grown in Poland, its area exceeding one million hectares. Like other plants, maize is prone to damage, and occasionally even destruction by weeds, pathogens and/or pests.

A key purpose of an integrated pest management aimed at protecting maize against pest damage is to prevent pest occurrence by means of annual preventive measures (mainly agrotechnical), or, should such measures be insufficient, through direct pest control (mechanical, biological or chemical). Before deploying treatments intended to protect plants against pests, it is always crucial to:

- gain a thorough understanding of the biology and harmfulness of key pests and, in particular, learn to identify them in the field,

- monitor pests and the size of their populations throughout the growing season,

- be familiar with current recommendations on the protection of maize against harmful species.