Abundance of the insect vector of two different Mollicutes plant pathogens in the vegetative maize cycle

The abundance of Dalbulus maidis leafhopper was evaluated in intervals of 20 days in the vegetative cycle of maize and popcorn hybrids simultaneously cultivated in three areas at four different sowing dates. The amount of leafhoppers increased from the first until the third sampling, around the flowering, and decreased after that. The highest amount of leafhoppers detected in the late sowings was attributed to effect of their concentration derived from oldest maize crops.