Abstract
Heavy stalk borer infestations broke out over the last three cropping seasons in sugarcane plantations of both Ferke sugar mills of Northern Ivory Coast. The study objective was to determine the cause of heavy infestation observed on cane and sugar yields in order to implement a proper pest management strategy. The study which covers from 2006-06 to 2017-18 cropping seasons was based on sampling of all sugarcane plantations at harvest for cane juice analyses and assessment of stalk borer damages in terms of percentage of internodes bored. This allowed to cluster harvested lands depending on the intensity of infested canes and assess the amount of sugar production losses due to E. saccharina. It came out that infestations of this borer observed at harvest broke out only three years ago in Ferke 1 and two years ago in Ferke 2. Heavy infestations occurred over 45-55% of the sugarcane area in Ferke 1 as opposed to 25-35% in Ferke 2. Except for variety SP71-8210, all main sugarcane varieties grown were only heavily infested in Ferke 1. Although infestations were of concern on plantations no matter their water status, they seemed to be much more severe on rainfed and semi-irrigated crops compared to irrigated ones. Sugar production loss due to E. saccharina occurred over the last three years in Ferke 1 as opposed to the last two years in Ferke 2 but more importantly in 2016-17 for both sites with, respectively, a loss of 2600 and 2300 tons of sugar. Significant reduction in sugar production as a result of the limitation in nitrogen fertilizer rates was achieved in 2017-18 compared to 20116-17 by 62 and 50%, respectively, in Ferke 1 and Ferke 2. This was one aspect of an integrated stalk borer management strategy to be implemented involving the application of silicone fertilizer, the growing of resistant or tolerant cane varieties and cropping practices preserving natural enemies such as mechanized green harvesting and growing service plants.
Highlights
Sugarcane is an economically important crop for food and energy production because of its high capacity of sucrose accumulation in stems and high biomass yield
The rainfall pattern centered on August and September is close for both Ferké sugar mill plantations which are located in the same ecological zone marked by a tropical dry climate with mainly a wooded savannah landscape and accessorily some forest landscape in the vicinity of major waterways
The average daily air temperature recorded over the same decade gives 27.4 ±1.8 and 27.0 ±1.6°C in Ferké 1 and Ferké 2, respectively. These data are in line of the fact that both Ferké sugar mill plantations belong to the same agro-ecological zone, despite the negative impact climate change may have on rainfall pattern
Summary
Sugarcane is an economically important crop for food and energy production because of its high capacity of sucrose accumulation in stems and high biomass yield It is mostly grown in tropical and subtropical areas of the world and stand for number of developing countries as the main source of GDP [1]. The African stalk borer E. saccharina Walker (Lepidoptara: Pyralidae) is known as the main insect pest in sugarcane which larva cause galleries into cane stalks [3,4], especially on their lower parts [5] These damages on stem tissues being afterwards infected by fungus species (Fusarium spp.) are characterized by a dark-red coloring of surrounding tissues of galleries [6]. E. saccharina damages affect young and adult cane stakes (as opposed to that of other stem borer species like S. calamistis, Chilo partellus and C. sacchariphagus on young tillers) increase with crop
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