Impact of Green Cane Harvesting on Pest Management in Sugarcane

Abstract

Green cane harvesting is a new agricultural practice that provides many benefits to sugar cane production in Brazil by allowing cane straw to remain on the soil surface. However, this system has complicated the management of weeds, pests and diseases. This review will highlight the impact of green cane harvesting on the management of weeds, insect pests, and pathogens in sugar cane production, and cover novel techniques and practices used to manage pests in this production system. Brazil has a unique agroecosystem that includes tropical and subtropical climates and distinct technical challenges relative to other agricultural regions around the world. Sugarcane stands out as an economically important crop in Brazilian agriculture, both in terms of its planting area and the complexity of the production system (e.g., constant changes in planting, cultural practices, and harvest managements). Brazilian sugarcane production in the 2018/2019 season was 620.44 million tons produced over more than 8.5 million hectares distributed mainly in the states of São Paulo, Goiás, and Minas Gerais. Currently, 38% of this production is intended to produce sugar and 62% to ethanol, generating 29.04 million tons of sugar and 33.14 billion liters of ethanol, making Brazil the largest sugar and ethanol producing country in the world. The sugarcane agroindustry continues to expand in Brazil, showing a great capacity to aggregate value to byproducts of ethanol and sugar, such as vinasse (fertilizer), filter cake (fertilizer and soil conditioner), bagasse (raw-material for industries; animal feed; and electrical energy generation), and plant straws (electrical energy generation). The adoption of mechanized harvests without burning has allowed accumulation of sugarcane straw residues over the cropping area (green cane harvesting). Approximately 84% of the sugarcane production area in Brazil follows green cane harvesting practices. This harvesting system has made the management of weeds, pests and diseases even more complex in sugarcane fields than before. Green cane harvesting has made pest and weed management (mainly) more complex. The presence of residues on the soil directly affects the action of pre-emergent herbicides that are most commonly used in sugarcane and increases the incidence of some important pests such as S. levis and M. fimbriolata. Integration of management programs for weeds, pests, and diseases generates economic benefits and control efficacy (broad spectrum action), maximizing their individual efficacy level, reducing the dependence on only one of them and the risk of selection of resistant pest populations. Monitoring, planning, and evaluation of the history of the sugarcane fields are essentials and assist in decision making regarding the method and time of control to be used. The efficiency of this system assists in the maintenance of high yields, health, and longevity for sugarcane fields.