CROP ROTATION IMPACT ON THE MAIZE CROP PESTS

Due to its high yielding capacity and its adaptability, the maize crop has become the main crop grown by Romanian farmers. Although the most important problem in maize cultivation were weed control, in recent years the pest control has become as important as the weed control. Due to the long monoculture, farmers are faced with very high pest densities, which leads to a reduction in yield but also in its quality, in extreme cases completely compromising the crop, making it necessary to reseed the crop. Pests of the maize crop target its entire vegetation period, and therefore farmers are subject to higher production costs by applying additional insecticide treatments. The objective of the present paper is to present the influence of crop rotation on the density and the attack intensity of the main pest of the maize crop. The research was performed under field conditions in South Romania (Giurgiu county, Putineiu location) in 2022, and the pests taken into account were Tanymecus dilaticollis Gyll. (maize leaf weevil), Helicoverpa armigera Hb. (cotton bollworm or corn earworm) and Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. (corn borer).