The sugarcane borer (SCB), Diatraea saccharalis, is responsible for greater than 90% of the total insect damage to sugarcane in Louisiana, and the process to decide when to spray is determined by many variables (i.e. infestation levels, weather conditions, economics of the grower, environmental concerns, etc.). Therefore the overall goal of this study is to provide key facts that would allow the industry to have a greater flexibility in controlling the SCB on different varieties. SCB larval infestations were monitored weekly with leaf sheath sampling. The SCB resistant varieties CP70-321 and HoCP85-845, and the susceptible varieties LCP85-384 and HoCP91-555 with four regimes of SCB insecticidal control were treated with insecticide when the designated threshold levels were reached.
Results indicated that the variety HoCP91-555 (highly susceptible) required three applications of insecticide during the growing season for both the 5% SCB infestation threshold (5%) and 5% early and 10% late season threshold (5%/10%). In comparison, LCP85-384 (susceptible) required three insecticide applications for the 5% management threshold, but only two insecticide applications for the 5%/10% management threshold. This study further demonstrates some positive results for the industry’s leading variety LCP85-384 (it currently represents about 85% of the sugarcane grown in Louisiana) in terms of growers being able to manage this variety against the SCB with the use of timely application of insecticides. The 5%/10% threshold shows promise and supports the industry’s desire to reduce unneeded insecticide applications during the season due to increasing economic and environmental concerns.
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