Pests Of Sugarcane PDF

Lecture 5 Pests of Sugarcane Seena R Subhagan Assistant Professor (Agricultural Entomology) RARS Ambalavayal  Stem borers Leaf feeders Sap suckers Root feeders Stem borers Sugarcane top borer – Scirpophaga nivella (Pyralidae, L...

Lecture 5 Pests of Sugarcane Seena R Subhagan Assistant Professor (Agricultural Entomology) RARS Ambalavayal  Stem borers Leaf feeders Sap suckers Root feeders Stem borers Sugarcane top borer – Scirpophaga nivella (Pyralidae, Lepidoptera) Sugarcane shoot borer – Chilo infuscatellus (Pyralidae, Lepidoptera) Stalk borer – Chilo auricilius (Pyralidae, Lepidoptera) Gurdaspur borer – Bissetia steniella (Crambidae, Lepidoptera) Internode borer – Chilo sacchariphagus indicus (Pyralidae, Lepidoptera) Pink stem borer – Sesamia inferens (Noctuidae, Lepidoptera) Green borer – Raphimetopus ablutellus (Pyralidae, Lepidoptera)  Sap suckers Sugarcane pyrilla – Pyrilla perpusilla (Lophopidae, Hemiptera) Sugarcane whitefly – Aleurolobus barodensis (Aleyrodidae, Hemiptera) Sugarcane spotted fly – Neomaskellia bergii (Aleyrodidae, Hemiptera) Sugarcane mealybug – Saccharicoccus sacchari (Pseudococcidae, Hemiptera) Sugarcane scale insect – Aulacaspis tegalensis (Diaspididae, Hemiptera) Sugarcane black bug – Cavelerius excavates (Lygaeidae, Hemiptera) Sugarcane aphid – Melanspis sachaari (Aphididae, Hemiptera) Sugarcane wooly aphid – Ceratovacuna indica (Aphididae, Hemiptera)  Leaf feeders Rice grasshopper – Hieroglyphus nigrorepletus (Acrididae, Orthoptera) Rice grasshopper – Hieroglyphus banian (Acrididae, Orthoptera) Sugarcane beetle – Anomala biharensis (Scarabeidae, Coleoptera) Sugarcane beetle – Alissonotum simile (Scarabeidae, Coleoptera) Root feeders Sugarcane root borer – Emmalocera depressella (Pyralidae, Lepidoptera) White grub – Holotrichia serrata (Scarabeidae, Coleoptera) White grub – Holotrichia consanguinea (Scarabeidae, Coleoptera) Termite – Odontotermes obesus (Termitidae, Isoptera) Stem borers Sugarcane top borer – Scirpophaga nivella Distribution Identification The insect is one of the Moths are pure white most destructive pests of Males are smaller than females sugarcane in India and A female measures 25-40 mm across the spread Pakistan wings and carries a brownish tuft of silken hairs at the tip of its abdomen When full grown a caterpillar is 25-30 mm long, creamy white and rather sluggish Life history  They grow to maturity in 5 stages within 4-5 weeks When full fed, a larva constructs a chamber with an emergence hole in the rind just above a node It pupates inside the chamber and emerges as a moth within 7-9 days Moths are short lived, 4-5 days 4-5 generation in one year Full grown caterpillars of the last generation, however do not pupate They hibernate in cane tops throughout the winter in northern India Damage The first two broods of this pest attack young plants before the formation of canes These plants are killed and are a total loss In subsequent broods, pest attacks terminal portion of the canes causing bunchy tops  Damage by the third and fourth broods may result in more than 25 percent reduction in weight and a decrease in quality of the juice The loss in weight may vary from 21 to 37 percent and loss in sugar recovery from 0.2 to 4.1 units  Management Collect and destroy moths and egg clusters Cut the shoots at the ground level from April to June Since about 1/3 of larvae live in the underground portion of the stem, the sharp edge of the sickle should be inserted to kill them Cutting and destroying cane tops which harbour the over wintering larvae before mid Feb also reduce the pest incidence Apply carbosulfan 6G at the base of the shoots in the last week of June or first week of july only if damage exceeds 5% Earth up slightly to check the granules from flowing with irrigation water and irrigate the crop immediately Sugarcane shoot borer – Chilo infuscatellus Distribution One of the very serious Identification Straw coloured forewings and whitish hind pests of sugarcane in wings with apical light buff areas India and Pakistan Measure 25-40 mm in wing span and are attracted to light at night Caterpillars are dirty white and have light violet longitudinal stripes on the body  Life history Females lay creamy white scale like eggs in clusters of 11-36 on the lower surface of leaves On an average, a female moth lays 300-500 eggs which hatch in 4-5 days The larvae reach the plant base, bore into the shoot and feed there They grow through 5 stages and complete their development in 3-4 weeks Each larva then creates a chamber for pupation in the cane and make an exit from which it emerges as moth after 6-7 days Moth live only for 2-4 days Life cycle completed in 5-6 weeks and pest breeds 4 or 5 times a year  Damage Done by caterpillars maximally by second, third and fourth generations by feeding inside the stems Plants attacked by the pest, produce dead hearts from April – June, and completely dry up A loss of 20-30 percent of young shoots occur and in years of serious infestation, it may be as high as 70 percent Management Apply 25 kg cartap hydrochloride 4G mixed in 20 kg sand or 5 litres of chlorpyriphos 20 EC in 1000 litres of water per ha with sprinkling can, along the rows at post germination stage (about 45 days after planting) Earth up slightly and follow up with light irrigation Stalk borer – Chilo auricilius Distribution Identification Moth is straw coloured and female has a wing Commonly known as Tarai span of 22-30 mm and the male has a wing span borer is perhaps the most of 16-25 mm destructive pest in sugarcane Fore wings have golden spots and the hind wings in northern India are silvery white The full grown caterpillar is 25-30 mm long, with a light bluish pink body and has a dark brown head and five longitudinal violet dorsal stripes  Life history Eggs are laid in leaf sheath or on underside of leaves of late water shoots and early ratoon sprouts A female lay 200-300 scale like overlapping eggs in clusters of 60-70 The young larvae measuring about 1mm, emerge from these eggs in about a week They feed on leaf sheaths or on midribs for the next week or so and then bore into stalks by making circular holes in the rind The larva develop through 5 stages and are full grown in 3-6 weeks  Then the mature larva constructs a chamber with an exit and begins pupation Moths emerge in about one week and the life cycle is completed in 5-9 weeks 5-6 overlapping generation in one year  Damage By feeding inside the stem Caterpillars bore into one internode after another and move from plant to plant, thus infesting upto 90 percent of the canes in certain fields Management Spread of the pest to uninfected areas may be prevented by restricting the movement of infested canes Staple 40 tricho cards (5 x 2.5 cm) hard paper piece glued with 7 days old eggs of laboratory host Corcyra cephalonica parasitized by Trichogramma chilonis to the underside of leaves from July to Oct at 10 days interval. Each card should have approximately 500 parasitized eggs and be spread uniformly at 100 spots per ha Normally 10-12 releases are required  The pest population can be suppressed by burning the thrash in the fields after harvest and by removing and destroying the water shoots over large areas during Feb- March. This practice also induces tillering and is useful. Do not ratoon heavily infested crop, plough up the affected fields, collect the stubble and destroy them Avoid lodging of crop Gurdaspur borer – Bissetia steniella Was considered the most destructive pest of sugarcane in India and Pakistan Noticed for the first time in Sialkot district in 1923 and was subsequently noticed as a pest at gurdaspur (Punjab) in 1925 In 50s and 60s it was considered as the most destructive pest of sugarcane in northern India Its importance as pest started declining in the late sixties  Identification The moth is dull brown, 25-45 mm across the spread wings and has a number of dark spots along the outer margins of the fore wings. The hind wings are white. A full grown caterpillar is 30-35mm long, creamy white, with orange brown head There are four prominent longitudinal violet stripes on the body  Life history A female lays 90-300 flattened scale like eggs in clusters of 3-22. The eggs are laid on the upper surface of the leaves along the midrib and they hatch in 4-9 days In 4 or 5 hours, the young larvae enter the top portion of the cane through a single hole just above a node There, they feed gregariously by making spiral galleries which run upwards After about 7-10 days, when the cane top has dried up, larvae (in the third stage) come out and enter the adjoining canes  They may again come out of these canes and attack the plants The larvae grow through five stages and are full fed in 19-27 days When mature, they make exit holes and pupate inside The pupal stage lasts 6-12 days and on emergence the moth lives 4-5 days It pupate in stubble and life cycle is completed in 5-6 weeks It breeds 2 or 3 times in a year  Damage In the initial stages, the larvae feed gregariously in the top portion of the canes by making spiral galleries thus killing the plants At about the time the larvae leave these canes and move to new ones, the dried cane tops can be spotted in the field Later on, large patches of dried canes appear Destroys 20-25% of the crop In case of severe infestation, the loss may be as high as 70-75% and sugar recovery from the crop is also greatly reduced Management Rogue out the canes showing withered tops in the afternoon every week from July to Sep and destroy Do not ratoon heavily affected crop Plough up the fields not meant for ratooning and destroy the stubble before June Chemical control is not feasible  Green borer – Raphimetopus ablutellus Distribution Identification Named after the caterpillar which is Regular pest of sugarcane uniformly copper green and has in Bihar, UP, Haryana and characteristic greyish prothoracic shield Punjab Adult moths have ocheorus fore wings and white hind wings Life history Active in sugarcane fields from Feb to June only Rest of the year larva hibernate in the stubble Moth appear from pupae towards the end of Feb or early Mar. After mating females lay on an average 37 oval shaped eggs in small clusters, scattered in cracks and crevices in the soil or among loose soil particles The dull white eggs are seen just below the surface of he ground, near the host plants  The eggs hatch in 7-8 days in April On emergence, larvae bore into the soft cane shoots and feed inside Undergo 5 moultings in 20-25 days during April May Total life cycle 35-40 days Pupate in the cane leaving an exit hole and emerge as moths in about 7 days Three generation a year Larva of last generation undergo diapause for many months Damage Generally found in association with other shoot borers, root borer and pink borer during summer months Larva attack the growing point of the plants causing dead hearts Internode borer – Chilo sacchariphagus indicus Distribution Identification Found throughout India and usually Moth is pale brown with white occurs on sugarcane late in its hind wings and the larva has a growing phase during June to Dec white body with dark spots and Serious pest in AP, Karnataka, a brown head Kerala, TN and UP Life history – 50-70 days The females lay white scale like eggs in masses of 2-60 near the midrib of leaves, on leaf sheaths and on stems A maximum of 400 eggs are laid by a female Incubation period is 5-6 days Larva borers at the nodal region and enters the stem Larva become full grown in 37-53 days and pupates in the leaf sheath Pupal period lasts for 8-10 days and the adults survive for 3-4 days 6 broods in a year Damage Caterpillar borers into the canes near the nodes, the entry holes being plugged with excreta A larva may attack 1-3 internodes and mostly the attack is seen in the top five internodes Its feeding causes the tissues turn red However juice quality is affected if more than 10 percent of the cane is affected Sap suckers Sugarcane pyrilla/Sugarcane leaf hopper – Pyrilla perpusilla The adult is about 20 mm long and has a straw coloured body with dark patches or spots on the wings At the front end it has a snout like prolongation and prominent red eyes Life cycle Adults lay 300-536 eggs in clusters on the underside of leaves during summer and within the leaf sheaths during winter The clusters are covered with a white, fluffy material from the anal tufts of females As this fluff is removed, oval pale white eggs are seen in 3-5 longitudinal rows of 35-50 each Eggs hatch in 8-10 days in summer and in about 3-4 weeks during Nov-Dec  Nymphs which hatch out are pale brown in colour At this stage they do not possess snout, wings and tufts Within a week they are characterised by the possession of two long tufts of waxy secretion at the end of the abdomen They start sucking the sap of canes and grow to maturity through 5 stages, within 8 weeks in summer and 5-6 months in winter 3-4 generations/year Damage By both nymph and adult by sucking sap from the foliage Due to loss of cell sap the leaves turn pale yellow and shrivel up later Even the canes dry up and die when the attack is very severe The insects excrete a thick transparent liquid (honeydew) which falls on the leaves and makes a good medium for the growth of a black mould At time the leaves acquire a sickly black appearance and the attacked crop can be spotted from a distance  The black coating interferes with photosynthesis and very little food is manufactured by the plants The existing sucrose in the canes is also used up About 35 per cent reduction in sugar yield occur Management A. Biological control Release of parasitoid, Epiricania melanoluca (Epipyropidae, Lepidoptera) @ 4000-5000 cocoons or 4-6 lakh eggs per ha checks the multiplication of sugarcane pyrilla Lower rates of cocoon releases are effective in areas where the parasitoid occurs naturally B. Chemical control Apply the following insecticides at an ETL of 3-5 nymphs or adults per leaf April – June – Spray the crop with one litre malathion 50EC or 565 ml fenitrothion 5- EC per ha in 250 litres of water with manually operated sprayer Aug - Oct – spray 650 – 875 ml of fenitrothion 50 EC per ha in 375 litres of water with manually operated sprayer Sugarcane black bug – Cavelerius excavatus Identification Adults are 6-7 mm long, black with white patches on the wings extending slightly beyond the abdomen Shape and colour of nymphs is similar to those of the adults but are smaller in size Life history In summer lay eggs in clusters on the inner side of leaf sheaths Eggs are creamy white Nymphs grow through 5 instar Adults are long lived; males die earlier than females Three generations per year In winter eggs are laid in soil at a depth of 5-7 cm and they hatch during next spring Damage On young plants the nymphs and adults suck cell sap from the central whorl On the grown up plants they prefer to feed within the leaf sheaths Varieties having broad and loosely attached leaf sheaths are preferred The attacked leaved become paler and also show holes after feeding Management After harvesting of the crop, before the sprouting, in the fields meant for ratoon, do stubble shaving Spread the dried trash uniformly and burn followed by irrigation Spray 565 ml of fenitrothion or 875 ml of chlorpyriphos 20 EC in 1000 litres of water per ha Direct the spray material into the spray whorl Sugarcane whitefly – Aleurolobus barodensis The adults are small, delicate pale yellow insects about 3 mm long Wings have a white mealy appearance, mottled with black dots The grown up nymphs are about 3 mm long, oval in outline, but flattened and scale like in form They are black and have a silvery grey waxy coating on the body Life cycle Female lays creamy white conical eggs which are glued to the surface of the leaves Eggs are in groups of 15-20, arranged in a single file Within a couple of hours, eggs turn black and hatch in 8-10 days On emergence the young nymphs are pale yellow and they move away from the egg shell to find a suitable place for feeding by the insertion of their piercing mouthparts Complete development in 25-30 days – 4 instars  Life is prolonged in autumn Then the nymph and pupal period are completed in 3-4 months  Damage Only the nymphs cause damage by sucking the cell sap Yellow streaks appear on the attacked leaves and the crop acquires a light green appearance Vitality of the plant is reduced Quality and quantity of jaggery production is poor because of subnormal crystallisation of sugar Sugar recovery is reduced by about 15 – 25 percent A black mould develops on the honeydew excreted by the pest and it renders them unfit as fodder Management Detrash lower leaves containing puparia Spary 100 ml imidachloprid 200 SL in 375 litres water per ha Sugarcane mealybug – Saccharicoccus sacchari Identification Inert pink insects Sack like segmented body covered completely with a white mealy powder Males with only one pair of wings are short lived Only function of males is to fertilize females Source:Invasive.org Life history Females lay a large no of eggs in a short interval Within few hours eggs become soft and elongated and the crawlers emerge Tiny young ones are transparent pink and very active They wander about for some time and spread all over the field or may be blown away by the wind to the adjoining fields Finds a suitable host and force themselves underneath the leaf sheaths near the basal nodes  As the canes grow taller, the older ones remain at the lower end and the crawlers reach the higher nodes Nymphs feed vigorously and pass through 6 stages before they are full grown The life of full grown winged female is 3-5 days Entire life cycle is completed in about a month during summer Pest completes several generations in a year Damage Done by both nymph and adult by continual sucking of sap They drain away large quantities of sap from the canes and foul them by their mealy secretions and honeydew A sooty mould develops on these secretions giving a blackish appearance to the canes In severe infestation sucrose content decreases by 24 percent and brix by 16 per cent  Sugarcane spotted fly – Neomaskellia bergii Adult flies are pale brown with black markings on fore wings Nymphs are pale brown to dark in colour and are covered with white wax Nymphs suck plant sap and in case of severe attack, cause stunting of canes and drying of leaves Sugarcane scale insect – Aulacaspis tegalensis Insect feed on stem parenchyma and by doing so prevent the accumulation of sucrose in the cane Drying up of the canes may also result from heavy infestation Reduces germination by about 20 percent, cane growth by 5.5 percent, cane yield by 43 percent, juice content by 0.30 – 41 percent and jiggery production by 10 percent Sugarcane wooly aphid – Ceratovacuna lanigera Damage Nymphs and adults congregate on the median area of leaves along midrib Desap resulting in drying up of leaves Excrete honey dew, which deposits on upper surface of lower leaves facilitating fungal development Results in ‘sooty mould’ affecting quality and yield of canes  THE HINDU Sugarcane farmers in Idukki reel under pest attack Giji K. Raman MARAYUR (IDUKKI DISTRICT):, JUNE 09, 2014 12:40 IST Woolly aphid cases were first reported in 2006 The attack of woolly aphid, a pest that lives on plant fluids, has considerably affected the sugarcane cultivation here. The disease, locally known as White Aswini, can result in low jaggery production as it sucks the sweet cells of the sugarcane. A senior agriculture officer here told The Hindu that the disease was first noticed in 2006 and it spread from the sugarcane plants replanted here. Officials suspect that the pest spread from the low lying areas of Tamil Nadu from where the disease-hit plants were brought for plantation in Marayur. The disease is now fast spreading in some areas. The farmers said the varieties traditionally cultivated were Manjula and CU-L and the disease was found after the new varieties from Tamil Nadu were used for replanting. It was with the aim of increasing the jaggery production because the growth period of the new verities was only nine months. The growth period of traditional varieties is 12 months. Marayur is the main sugarcane field in the district and the Marayur jaggery is famous for its quality. Management Avoid excess irrigation Select seed material from pest free areas and uninfested fields Destroy affected leaves when pest problem is initially noticed in a limited area Use varieties less susceptible to aphids Conserve and augment natural enemies like Dipha aphidivora by avoiding the use of chemicals whenever natural enemies are seen As a last resort Acephate can be used as chemical control Root feeders  Sugarcane root borer – Emmalocera depresella Distribution Identification The moths are pale yellow brown and have Very serious pest of sugarcane white hindwings. in eastern India, but of minor Females have a wing span of 30-35 mm importance in Punjab and A full grown caterpillar measures about 30 Haryana mm in length, creamy white with yellowish- brown head and a rather wrinkled body Life history A female lays, on an average 277-355 scale like, creamy white egg singly on leaves, stem or on the ground The eggs hatch in 5-8 days and the young larvae bore into the stem below the soil surface As they feed, they cut right across the stem, reaching the adjoining tillers. The larva complete their development through 5 stages in about 4 weeks  When full grown , they pupate inside the canes after making emergence holes just above the soil surface The pupal stage lasts 9-14 days and moths emerge from these holes The life cycle is completed in 6-7 weeks. Four generations are completed in a year and caterpillars of the fifth generation hibernate in winter Damage Done by caterpillars by eating inside the lower stem Central leaves of the attacked plants dry up and form dead hearts before the cane forming stage These dead hearts are not easily pulled out Primarily destructive to young plants and attack is severe in April to June Plants attacked after the formation of canes are not killed, although their weight and sugar content are reduced Management Can be suppressed by ploughing up and burning the stubble in the fields Canes should be harvested below the soil surface in order to kill the caterpillars Chemical control is not feasible Staple 40 trichocards to the under side of the leaves from july to oct at 10 days interval. Each card should have approximately 500 parasitized eggs and be spread uniformly at 100 spots per ha. Normally 10-11 releases are required.