Sugarcane Borer Control, 1979

Abstract

Abstract SUGARCANE BORER CONTROL, 1979: Insecticide sprays were applied 3-weeks apart in a block of plant sugarcane located on the St. Gabriel Experiment Station near Baton Rouge, to determine season-long control of sugarcane borer (SCB) infestations. A randomized complete block experimental design was employed with treatments replicated 5 times. Individual plots were 3 rows spaced 6 ft apart × 24.2 ft (0,1 acre). Each spray concentration was applied to the sugarcane plant canopy in water at 30 psi with a compressed air knapsack sprayer that delivered 25 gal finished formulation per acre. Insecticide applications were begun after internodes were first visible above ground and when 5% of the stalks contained small SCB larvae in leaf sheaths. Three applications of each insecticide were made (July 16, August 7, 31). The efficacy of individual insecticide treatments was determined at harvest time by residual control comparisons of % internodes bored in treated plots. Twenty stalks were randomly selected from the center row of each plot on September 22 and examined for external signs of SCB entrance and exit holes.