Published in Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXIX, Issue 1
Written by Ioana GROZEA, Jozsef-Zsolt VERES, Florin PRUNAR, Snejana DAMIANOV, Silvia PRUNAR, Adrian GROZEA, Ana-Maria VIRTEIU
Smart pest management is a key component of resilient maize production systems, particularly under increasing pest pressure and climatic variability. Effective crop management relies on early detection and correct diagnosis of insect pests, yet not all species and developmental stages are equally detectable under field conditions. This study proposes a decision-oriented diagnostic framework for maize pest management, combining visual scouting, high-resolution imaging, digital tools and targeted verification methods, applied across crop phenological stages from emergence to maturity. All maize pests relevant to Western Romania (Ostrinia nubilalis, Helicoverpa armigera, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, Oulema melanopus, Rhopalosiphum padi, Agriotes spp., Opatrum spp. and Tanymecus spp.) were evaluated in terms of detectability, diagnostic complexity and management relevance. Species and stages were classified into easy, moderate or difficult to detect categories, based on visibility, symptom expression and habitat. Original high-resolution images were used to illustrate decision-relevant diagnostic features and frequent confusion cases. The proposed approach supports integrated pest management by improving diagnostic accuracy, reducing unnecessary interventions and enhancing smart, field-based decision-making in maize crop management.
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{simplepopup popup="false" name="Citation33"}GROZEA I., VERES J.Z., PRUNAR F., DAMIANOV S., PRUNAR S., GROZEA A., VIRTEIU A.M. 2026, SMART PEST MANAGEMENT IN MAIZE: THE ROLE OF VISUAL DIAGNOSTICS IN CROP DECISION-MAKING. Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXIX, Issue 1, ISSN 2285-5785, 266-276. {/simplepopup}