Sugarcane

Insect Management

Insect Management

  • Sugarcane, being a long duration crop with 10 - 15 months as a plant crop, followed by one or more ratoon crops and cultivated on a commercial scale in extensive areas, offers almost a monoculture condition.
  • About 288 pests have been recorded from different parts of the country. Out of this 12 pests have been found to cause heavy losses in cane yield and sugar recovery. About 8-10 percent of sugarcane crop is damaged by insects.
  • The pests resort to resource partitioning by feeding on setts, roots, shoot/cane, leaf lamina, leaf whorl and leaf sheath.

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Internode Borer : Chilo sacchariphagus indicus Kapur

  • The internode borer is a major pest of sugarcane in peninsular India. It damages the crop soon after internode formation and its activity continues till harvest. Most of the fresh borer attack is found in the top five immature internodes.

  • The larva tunnels upwards in a characteristic spiral fashion. The length and girth of the infected internodes get reduced.
  • Sometimes, buds in the infected internodes get reduced, and buds in the infected internodes sprout.

  • Cane weight loss occurs leading to yields loss. Juice quality deterioration also occurs when the damage is more. Lodging, high dosage of nitrogen, water logged condition and presence of water shoots favour build up of internode borers. Losses due to internode borer varies from 8.6 - 19.0 t/ha in yield and 0.3 - 2.3 t of CCS / ha.

Management Cultural

  • Use of borer free setts for planting
  • Detrashing the crop at 5th and 7th month stage
  • Removal of water shoots at 8th / 9th months.
  • Avoiding high dose of N
  • Good field drainage

Biological

  • Field release of egg parasitiod, Trichogramma chilonis 2.5 cc / ha at fortnightly intervals six times commencing from fourth month.

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Mealybug : Saccharicoccus sacchari

  • The pink coloured mealy bugs covered with white mealy outgrowth remain within the leafsheath and suck the sap causing yellowing of leaves.
  • Photosynthesis is affected due to sooty mould development on the foliage because of the honey dew excreted by the bugs.
  • Yield losses upto 20 per cent and CCS loss upto 30% have been observed due to mealy bug infestation.

Management

  • Methods suggested for scale insect management will take care of mealybugs also.

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Pyrilla : Pyrilla perpusilla Walker

  • The incidence of pyrilla is more between July and December particularly in crops which receive excess nitrogen and water.
  • Pyrilla is the most destructive foliage sucking pest of sugarcane. The adults and the nymphs suck leaf sap from the under surface of the lower leaves minus the midrib, resulting in yellowish white spots .

  • When the infestation is heavy, leaves turn yellowish white and wither away. The hoppers exude a sweet sticky fluid known as ‘honey dew’ which promotes quick and luxuriant growth of the fungus Capnodium sp., and as a result the leaves are completely covered by the sooty mould.
  • This affects photosynthesis. Due to continuous desapping by large number of hoppers, top leaves in the affected canes dry up and the lateral buds germinate.
  • Pyrilla incidence leads to 28 % yield loss and upto 50% CCS loss.

Management

  • Detrashing at 5 th and 7th month stage of the crop
  • Collection and destruction of egg masses
  • Proper water and nutrient management
  • Field release of Parasitiod Epiricania melanoleuca @ 1600 to 2000 pupae or 5,00,000 eggs / ha
  • Spray application of malathion 50 EC @ 1000ml / ha or endosulfan 35 EC @ 2250 ml / ha

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Scale Insect : Melanaspis glomerata (Green)

  • The scale insect makes its appearance in 5 - 6 month old crops after the formation of a few internodes. This may coincide with the onset of monsoon.
  • Heavy infestation of scale insect starts from June and continues upto December.
  • Scales usually establish on internodes covered with leaf sheath. Nodal region is more infested than internodal regions.

  • The scale insect crawlers suck the sap by inserting stylets into the parenchymatous tissue. Under field conditions, the symptoms of attack become evident only when there is heavy build up.
  • When the infestation is heavy, the entire stem is covered by the scale insect and its encrustation gives grayish black appearance . The infested crop loses its vigour, canes shrivel, growth is stunted, and the internodal length is reduced . Ultimately the cane dries up.

  • Leaves of infested canes show signs of tip drying and unhealthy pale green colour. With continued infestation leaves turn yellow.
  • If scale insect infested setts are planted there will be considerable reduction in germination. The loss is more in light soils than heavy soils. The sacle insect causes upto 20 % yield loss and 30 % CCS loss.

Management

  • Avoiding scale insect infested fields for sett selection
  • Avoiding ratooning in infested fields
  • Detrashing at 5th and 7th months
  • Burning of trash and other crop residues of the infested crop
  • Growing tolerant variety like Co 6304.
  • Spray application of malation 50 EC @ 1000 ml / ha.

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Shoot Borer : Chilo infuscatellus Snellen

  • It is commonly known as 'shoot borer' in the sub tropics and 'early shoot borer' (ESB) in the tropical belt. The shoot borer is widely distributed in all the sugarcane growing areas of the country.
  • It usually attacks during the early part of cane growth, before internode formation. The pest problem occurs mostly during March to June in main season. It also attacks the cane stalks in the years of scanty rainfall.


  • The pest causes heavy losses as it affects initial crop stand. It also leads to late formed canes which will be poor in juice quality with less cane weight. The average cane yield loss due to ESB is reported to be around 10 tonnes per hectare.
  • The borer larva enters the cane laterally by one or more holes in the stalks (shoot) and bores downwards as well as upwards killing the growing point.
  • It cuts off the central leaf spindle which eventually dries forming a "dead heart". The dead heart can be easily pulled out. It emits an offensive odour.
  • Borer infestation during the germination phase kills the mother shoots resulting in the drying up of the entire clump. This leads to gaps in the field.
  • If the attack is during the tillering phase, the clumps are not killed.

Management

Cultural

  • Early planting
  • Partial earthing up
  • Maintaining adequate soil moisture by frequent irrigation
  • Removal of dead hearts
  • Trash mulching on ridges during 10 DAP and intercropping green gram reduces the shoot borer incidence.
  • Intercropping with daincha and incorporation in situ on 45 days after planting or intercropping of green gram or black gram.

Biological

  • Release of Trichogramma chilonis, an egg parasitoid at 2.5 cc / ha at 10 days interval from 40th day till 110th day.
  • Release of 125 gravid females of larval parasitoid, Sturmiopsis inferens on 30 and 45 DAP.
  • Spray application of granulosis virus (GV) at 250 larval equivalents (LE) / ha on 30 and 45 DAP along with a sticker (soap solution at 1 ml/ litre of spray fluid.
  • Closed cup release through ice cream or plastic disposable cups increases the percentage emergence of parasitoid T. chilonis (70-74%) as against conventional method of card tying in field (61%).

Plant Products

  • Spray application of neem seed kernel extract 5 per cent on 30 and 60 days after planting. Neem seed kernel @ 50 g / litre is soaked in water for over night and filtered before spraying. Soap solution at 1ml / litre of spray fluid is added to increase the adherence of the spray droplets on the foliage.
  • Neem seed kernel extract 8 per cent or neem oil 2 per cent in second round preceded by Sevidol granule application (1 kg ai/ha) reduces shoot borer to the extent of more than 60 per cent.

Chemicals

  • Spray application of endosulfan 35 EC 1875 ml/ ha or monocrotophos 36 WSC 1000 ml / ha on 30 and 60 DAP or whorl application of granular insecticide Lindane 4G 12.5 Kg/ha on 30 DAP mixed with sand when the damage crosses the threshold level of 15 per cent.
  • Sevidol 4.4 granules @ 12.5 kg/ha applied in whorls or at root zone followed by irrigation or endosulphan 0.07% spray reduces the incidence of shoot borer and increases the cane yield.

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Termites

Damage

  • Sugar cane is sporadically severely damaged by termites. Cane is grown from short lengths of cane (setts)
  • The most common damage to the crop is when these setts are first planted out in the fields.
  • Attack at this stage prevents germination, resulting in a poor stand.
  • Termites also attack the crop as it begins to mature as well as the cut stumps following harvest.
  • Secondary attack can also occur when termites gain access to the soft pith through sites damaged by rodents, stem borers or other agents.
  • The most damage to sugarcane is done by genera Amitermes, Pseudacanthotermes, Macrotermes, Odontotermes, Microtermes and Ancistrotermes.
  • Yield losses of 10 -28% were reported from various parts of the world.

Management

  • Destroy the termitoria present on the bunds and nearer to the field.
  • The usual method of prevention is to dip the setts in various formulations of chlorinated hydrocarbons before planting, or to spray them in the furrows before filling in.
  • Soil application of 6 G lindane or 4:4 G sevidol @1 kg. a.i. per ha.or Caldan 4 G @ 0.5 kg. a.i. per ha.
  • Drenching of 20 EC chlorpyriphos @ 1 kg. a.i. in 1000 lit. of water per ha. or soil application of 5 G quinalphos @ 1.5 kg. a.i.per ha.
  • It can be managed by addition of liberal quantities of organic manure and a composite culture of microbes containing Beauvaria bassiana, Metarhizium sp and Paecelomyes sp

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Top Borer : Scirpophaga excerptalis

  • It is a major pest of sugarcane in the subtropical India. It infests sugarcane during all the stages of crop growth.
  • The first instar larva tunnels into the midrib and causes a white streak which later turns reddish brown. The larva bores its way to the central core of the spindle through the unfurled leaves.
  • Rows of shot-holes can be seen when the leaves open . As the larva nibbles into the central core a portion of the leaf is also eaten. There is dead heart formation, but it cannot be pulled out easily.
  • In the tillering phase of the crop, the attacked shoots die, resulting in the formation of side tillers.
  • In the grand growth phase, the crop growth is arrested, and the crown with dead heart dries and may be blown off leaving the stump.
  • In grown up canes, the infestation results in dead heart formation which leads to sprouting of the buds producing a ‘bunchy top’ appearance
  • Severe yield and quality loss occurs due to top borer, the extent depends on the level of incidence. Losses upto 20 – 30% in yield and 0.2 – 0.4 % in CCS have been recorded.

Management

  • Collection and destruction of egg masses and roguing of affected cane tops before moth emergence.
  • Provision of good drainage as waterlogging favours the pest incidence.
  • Field release of egg parasitiod Trichogramma japonicum or larval parasitoid Isotima javensis.

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White Flies

  • There are three species of white flies viz. Aleurolobus barodensis Mask., Neomaskellia bergii Sign. and N. andropogonis Corbett. Of the three, A. barodensis is economically important.
  • The nymphs of white flies suck the sap from the under surface of the leaves which turn yellow and pinkish in severe cases and gradually dry up.

  • Heavily infested leaves are covered by the sooty mould caused by the fungus Capnodium sp. which adversely affects photosynthesis . The white fly infestation retards cane growth and reduces sugar content.


  • Summer droughts and dry spells during monsoon greatly favour build up of white flies. Crops subjected to waterlogging especially in the low lying areas are heavily infested by white flies.
  • Waterlogging and nitrogen starvation cause severe outbreak of this pest. In general white fly incidence is more in neglected crops.
  • Yield loss upto 65% and CCS loss upto 7.7% have been recorded due to whitefly incidence.

Management

  • Proper water and nutrient management
  • Detrashing
  • Spray application of monocrotophos 36 WSC 1125 ml / ha

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White Grub

  • The white grubs are the larvae of Scarabacid beetles. The grubs have a C-shaped, fleshy, white or gray coloured body.
  • The white grubs damage roots and under ground stalks and thus affect the stalks.
  • The canes can be pulled out. Also, we can observe fallen canes which eventually dry. Generally, damage caused by white grub is in patches within the cane field.

  • The white grub problem has become serious due to deforestation. The grubs are polyphagous. Yield loss upto 35 t / ha has been recorded.
  • Presence of host trees along the border of sugarcane fields or in nearby areas for adult feeding favours borer occurrence and attack.
  • Grubs can withstand drought conditions by remaining dormant inside earthen shells upto 100 days (first instar) or 112 days (in the grown up stage).

Management

  • Collection of beetles at the time of their mass emergence after summer showers
  • Repeated deep ploughing and collection and destruction of the life stages of the beetle
  • Crop rotation with rice or sunflower
  • Spray application of monocrotophos 1.5 ml/litre during June – July to host trees coinciding with the beetle emergence

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Tamilnadu

Sugarcane

Sugarcane Management