The value of insecticidal seed treatments for US rice farmers

The effects of herbivory and chemical applications as potential inducers of resistance to herbivores in rice, Oryza sativa L., were explored through a series of field, greenhouse, and laboratory experiments. Studies were conducted to investigate the preference and performance of several herbivore pests of rice with a focus on, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, the rice water weevil (RWW), under conditions where rice plants had been stressed by previous herbivory or chemical applications. The effects of defoliation by Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), the fall armyworm, on resistance and tolerance of rice to RWW under field conditions were examined. Herbivory by fall armyworm on rice may indirectly affect RWW in rice fields in the southeastern United States via changes in rice resistance and tolerance. Hypotheses were that defoliation by fall armyworm would alter the resistance of rice to subsequent infestation by RWW, and that defoliation would reduce the tolerance of rice to subsequent RWW injury. Additional experiments probed the effects of larval and adult feeding on rice tissues by RWW on subsequent adult RWW preference. Hypotheses were that prior feeding by either stage would alter plant resistance to subsequent adult infestation. These studies provided strong support for larval induced resistance to aboveground conspecific adults, while providing weaker support for adult induced resistance to subsequent RWW adults. Investigations of the effects of methyl jasmonate, a derivative of the plant hormone jasmonic acid, which is involved in the mechanisms underlying induced resistance to herbivores, were also studied at the greenhouse and field level. It was hypothesized that methyl jasmonate seed treatments would increase resistance in rice to RWW. Results indicated that while the compound did not provide protection equal to pyrethroid insecticides, it was capable of inducing resistance to RWW at the cost of delays in plant growth and potential reductions in yield. Finally, herbicide-induced resistance to major herbivores in LA rice was investigated at the field level. These herbivores included the RWW, a complex of stemborers (Lepidoptera:Crambidae) including Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius), the sugarcane borer, Chilo plejadellus (Zincken), the rice stalk borer, and Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), the Mexican rice borer, as well as the rice stink bug, Oebalus pugnax (Fabricius). Hypotheses were that there would be both direct and indirect effects of herbicides on insect and weed densities in rice, and that these effects would translate to differences in rice yields between treatments. Overall results from this series of experiments indicate that herbicides are capable

Rice plants are consistently subjected to various pressures by insect pests throughout the growing season. The main insect pest complex reported in Louisiana are the rice water weevil (major early-season insect pest), fall armyworm (sporadic early-season pest), sugarcane borer and rice stalk borer (long- established but sporadic stem boring pests), Mexican rice borer (an invasive stem-boring pest), and rice stink bug (major late-season pest). Soil silicon amendment has been shown to enhance plant resistance against herbivorous pests. Rice is a typical silicon-accumulating graminaceous crop. Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted from 2015 to 2017 to investigate the effects of soil silicon amendment and nitrogen levels on the rice insect pest complex In Louisiana. In the greenhouse, we found that force required to penetrate rice stem was higher on silicon-treated rice plants compared to untreated plants. Total phenolic content on the other hand, decreased when nitrogen rate was increased. In the field experiment, the effects of soil silicon amendment on rice water weevil densities, whitehead incidences, stink bug population, and yields were found to be weaker than the effects of nitrogen fertilization. Furthermore, separate field experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 to investigate the effects of silicon fertilization and rice cultivars on the rice insect pests. Results showed reductions in weevil larval densities in silicon treated plots compared to untreated plots in one core sampling in 2016. Similarly, higher yields were observed in silicon treated plots compared to untreated plots in 2016. Silicon amendment did not affect whitehead incidences and rice stink bug densities in both years. The levels of infestations of rice water weevil, stem borers, and rice stink bugs were also were also found to vary among the rice cultivars evaluated in the study. Despite the weak effect of silicon on insect pests in this study, silicon could still play an important role in rice production considering the positive effects on yield and documented effects on disease suppression.

Understanding plant‐mediated interactions in agricultural systems may facilitate the development of novel and improved management practices, which is important, as management of these insects is currently heavily reliant on insecticides. The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Prodeniini), is a sporadic pest of rice fields in the southern USA. In southwestern Louisiana, this defoliating insect typically attacks rice early in the growth season, before fields are flooded. Defoliation by fall armyworm larvae may trigger increased expression of plant defenses, which may result in increased resistance to subsequent herbivores. The rice water weevil (RWW), Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Stenopelmini), enters rice fields as an adult both before and after flooding, but oviposition and larval infestation occur only after fields are flooded. RWW may be affected by changes in plant resistance caused by fall armyworm defoliation before flooding. The objectives of this study were to investigate the plant‐mediated effects of natural and artificial defoliation on population densities of RWW larvae after flooding and on the ability of rice plants to compensate for root injury by RWW larvae. In the 2015 season, fall armyworm defoliation before flooding resulted in reduced RWW densities after flooding. However, in 2016 no significant effects of fall armyworm defoliation on densities of RWW larvae were detected. Similarly, mechanical defoliation of rice before flooding did not affect RWW densities after flooding. Although lowest yields were observed in plots subjected to both root injury and defoliation, there was little evidence of a greater than additive reduction in yields from simultaneous injury. These results suggest a lack of plant‐mediated interactions among these two pests in rice in the southern USA.

For the past decade, insecticidal seed treatment has been the most widely used control tactic against insect pests of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the USA. Seed treatments are used primarily to control the most economically important early-season pest of rice, the rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel). This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of reduced rates of chlorantraniliprole seed treatment against the rice water weevil, fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith), and sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis F.) under field and laboratory conditions. Concentrations of chlorantraniliprole in plant tissues were determined at vegetative and reproductive developmental stages of rice plants. Chlorantraniliprole seed treatment reduced the densities of rice water weevil larvae relative to non-treated controls even at rates 75% lower than the label rate. Increased mortality of fall armyworm larvae was observed at reduced seed treatment rates relative to a non-treated control. Chlorantraniliprole seed treatment increased the mortality of sugarcane borer larvae at all rates relative to controls and the mortality was consistently higher in larvae that were fed stems from treated plants at the vegetative developmental stage than larvae that were fed stems from plants at the reproductive stage. Concentrations of chlorantraniliprole in plant tissues increased with seed treatment rate and decreased with plant age. This study has shown that reduced chlorantraniliprole seed treatment rates can provide adequate control against the rice water weevil, fall armyworm, and sugarcane borer, particularly at early developmental stages of rice plants. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Greenhouse studies were conducted to investigate plant‐mediated interactions between an above‐ground and a below‐ground herbivore when sharing a common host plant, rice (Oryza sativa L). Two common pests of rice were used: the rice water weevil (RWW), Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, as the root herbivore, and the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) as the foliage‐feeding herbivore. Rice water weevil larval performance was assessed by measuring larval density and average weight in response to different levels of defoliation by FAW larvae. The reciprocal experiment was done to evaluate FAW performance (growth rate) in response to RWW feeding. Severe defoliation by FAW decreased RWW densities by 32% and reduced larval weights by 48% compared to larvae on roots of non‐defoliated plants. Effects in the converse experiments were not as strong. FAW growth rates were reduced 9–37% when feeding on rice leaves from plants damaged by RWW compared to larvae feed leaves from the no damage treatment. These reciprocal negative effects show that RWW and FAW are potential competitors when sharing a rice plant. Because RWW and FAW did not interact directly, competition was plant‐mediated.

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Kuschel), is the most widely distributed and destructive early-season pest of rice in the United States. Injury caused by feeding of weevil larvae on rice roots results in significant yield losses. In Louisiana, a complex of stem-boring lepidopteran pests also attacks rice. Of this complex, the Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), has recently invaded Louisiana and now poses a consistent threat to rice production. To study the effects of planting date on rice water weevil density and stem borer damage (whiteheads), field experiments were conducted in Louisiana from 2018 to 2020. Six rice cultivars (CL152, Cheniere, Cocodrie, Jazzman-2, Jupiter, and PVL01) were drill-planted in small plots across 6 planting date ranges per year. Weevil densities on rice roots were evaluated 3 and 4 weeks after permanent flood establishment, and stem borer infestations were assessed by recording the total number of whiteheads in each plot at 100% heading. At grain maturity, entire plots were harvested. Weevil infestation levels remained high throughout all planting dates; however, densities were slightly lower in the later planting dates. The rice cultivar 'Jupiter' supported higher weevil densities compared to 'Cheniere'. Whitehead densities increased with later planting. The rice cultivar 'PVL01' consistently had the highest number of whiteheads. In addition, yields were lower at late planting dates. Results from this study suggest that rice water weevil poses a consistent threat throughout the range of typical planting dates, whereas the stem borer incidence tends to become more problematic in later-planted rice.

Rice is the staple food for the majority of the world’s population. Globally, rice is cultivated on an estimated 160 m ha annually [1]. Although the U.S contributes only 2% of world rice production from less than 1% of world’s acreage, the U.S is one of top five global exporters of rice [2]. Insect pests pose a major biotic threat to rice production throughout the world. In the U.S, the rice water weevil (RWW), Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most destructive insect pest of rice [3]. In addition to the RWW, a number of other pests can attack rice during the seedling, vegetative and early reproductive phases of rice development. The importance of these pests varies regionally. In Arkansas, for example, Colaspis sp. can be important pests of young rice and can severely reduce early season stands [4]. In Louisiana and Texas, several Lepidopterans are important, including the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). While these pests are not consistently important constraints on yield, they can occasionally cause heavy losses. In contrast, losses from the RWW would probably average 5% or more if fields were not treated and this insect is a key driver of early season pest management decisions [5]. Application of foliar pyrethroid insecticides for weevil management, a practice used since the late 1990’s, has been problematic due to high toxicity of this group of insecticides to aquatic invertebrates, primarily to red swamp crawfish, the major aquaculture commodity cocultivated with rice in rotation systems in Louisiana [6-8]. As alternatives to pyrethroids, two groups of insecticides have been labeled since the mid-2000s as seed treatments in ricethe anthranilic diamide group (active ingredient: chlorantraniliprole; Dermacor X-100®) and the neonicotinoid group (active ingredietns: thiamethoxam; Cruiser Maxx®; clothianidin; Nipsit INSIDE®). These seed treatment insecticides have longer residual activity on RWWs than pyrethroids and are two to three orders of magnitude less acutely toxic to crawfish than pyrethroids [6,7]. The two groups of seed treatment insecticides differ in their activities on their sporadic insect pest complex [9] and in their potency against weevils [10]. The growers’ choice of treatment with neonicotinoid or anthranilic diamide is influenced by the threat of sporadic pests, the relative safety of these insecticide classes on crawfish, and the cost of treatment.

Plants possess defense‐related traits that both reduce injury from herbivores (resistance) and the amount of yield loss per unit injury (tolerance). Plant resistance and tolerance can be utilized in pest management programs. The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most destructive early‐season pest of rice (Oryza sativa L., Poaceae) in the USA. Additionally, lepidopteran stemborers, particularly the invasive Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), are increasing in economic importance as pests of rice in Louisiana, USA. This study was conducted to evaluate both the resistance and tolerance of commonly grown inbred rice cultivars in Louisiana to combined infestations of rice water weevils and stemborers. Field experiments were established at the Rice Research Station in Crowley, LA, USA from 2017 to 2019. Eight commonly grown inbred cultivars were selected and pest infestation levels were manipulated using insecticidal seed treatments. The rice cultivar ‘Jupiter’ supported the highest numbers of immature rice water weevils, whereas weevil densities on other cultivars were intermediate. Low levels of stemborer injury were observed in ‘Cheniere’ and ‘Jazzman‐2’, which suggests that these cultivars express some resistance to stemborers, whereas high stemborer injury was observed in ‘Cocodrie, ‘CL151’, and ‘Mermentau’. Together, rice water weevil and stemborer infestations negatively affected rice yields, with losses up to 18%. However, differences among cultivars in overall yield losses were minimal. Comparisons of slopes of yield × weevil density relationships among cultivars revealed a greater decline, that is, yield loss per weevil, for Cheniere relative to Cocodrie. Our data suggest that plant resistance can serve as a valuable component of an integrated pest management program, particularly for stemborers.

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most destructive and widespread insect pest of rice (Oryza sativa L., Poaceae) in the USA. This insect poses a global threat to rice production, having invaded rice-producing regions of Asia and Europe. Moreover, lepidopteran stemborers, particularly the invasive Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), are increasingly becoming problematic in Louisiana rice. Although insecticidal seed treatments have been widely used against weevils and stemborers, alternative management strategies are needed. Plants possess defense-related traits that both reduce injury from herbivores (resistance) and the amount of yield loss per unit injury (tolerance). Tolerance is a type of plant resistance that allows crop plants to maintain yield in spite of injury by herbivores. Both plant resistance and tolerance can be utilized and integrated into pest management programs. Several experiments were conducted from 2016–2020 to (i) examine the susceptibility of rice cultivars to rice water weevil and stemborers and the corresponding impact of these insect pests on yields, (ii) investigate effects of cultural strategies and host plant resistance on weevil and stemborer infestations, and (iii) elucidate effects of chronic feeding by weevil larvae on rice plants. Results from the experiments in this study have shown that the rice cultivar ‘Jupiter’ consistently supported the highest numbers of immature weevils compared to other rice cultivars. Low levels of stemborer injury were observed in ‘Cheniere’ and ‘Jazzman-2’, which suggests that these cultivars express some levels of resistance to stemborers. Plant tolerance was assessed by evaluating differences in yields between insecticide-protected and unprotected plots. Weevil and stemborer infestations negatively affected rice yields, with losses among cultivars ranging from 4–49%. Comparisons of yields between insecticide-protected and unprotected plots indicated that hybrid cultivars exhibited higher tolerance to rice water weevil infestations than inbred cultivars. Delaying permanent flood application by two weeks reduced weevil densities and stemborer injury. Yield losses were also generally lower in plots subjected to delayed flood compared to normal flood timing. Our data suggest that the combination of cultivar resistance/tolerance and cultural tactics (e.g., delayed flooding) can serve as a valuable component of an integrated pest management program for both rice water weevil and stemborers. Furthermore, results from the experiments conducted in this study demonstrated that feeding by rice water weevil reduced plant growth, yields, and plant nutrient uptake. Rice cultivars expressing tolerance could be used to reduce crop damage in situations where the use

Louis Pérez, author of more than a dozen books on modern Cuba and Cuban-American relations, here turns his hand to the history of Cuban rice. Historians interested in Cuban agriculture have written abundantly and wonderfully on sugar and tobacco. They have shown much less interest in Cuban food and food production. Pérez emphasizes early on the importance of rice to Cuban meals and diets, and its centrality to Cuban food culture. He stresses the irony that while Cubans for two centuries have been great rice eaters, trailing only some Asian populations in per capita rice consumption, they have never been great rice producers. Although Cuban landscapes, especially in the westernmost third of the island, are suited to rice growing, at many points in their history Cubans have imported 90 percent or more of their rice. This mismatch between production and consumption is what Pérez wishes to explain, especially for the years between 1840 and 1960. His stated aim is “to lift rice out of historiographical obscurity, to situate rice at the center of the very way to think about the Cuban past” (p. 23).Pérez burrows inside the politics of rice in both Cuba and the United States. At the heart of the book lies the fact that both Cuba and Louisiana could grow both sugar and rice. As a result of the growing involvement of the United States in Cuban affairs, the fate of Cuban rice farmers and rice production hinged on tariff deals between the two countries. If the US Congress and Commerce Department were to give Cuban sugar a warm welcome in US markets, then, in exchange, Cuba would have to allow US rice favorable terms. Given that economies of scale were more easily achieved by US rice farmers than their Cuban counterparts, trade deals that suited Cuban sugar producers always handicapped (uncompetitive) Cuban rice farmers. As Pérez puts it, “US rice producers had no better allies than Cuban sugar producers” (p. 25). Many Cubans lamented the lack of homegrown rice, and several governments sought to bolster rice farming, to little effect. Even Fidel Castro, who changed so much, could not change Cuba's dependence on foreign rice.Chapter 1 revisits the rise of sugar and decline of subsistence food production in nineteenth-century Cuba. Rice from South Carolina and Georgia helped make Cuban specialization in sugar feasible. By midcentury, sugar producers dominated Cuban agriculture and those aspects of policy that Spain (Cuba's colonial master before 1898) left to Cubans. Chapter 2 charts the course of rice imports from the 1890s to about 1920, an era when Cubans produced almost no rice of their own. They imported rice from several Asian countries, but the interruptions to maritime shipping brought on by World War I obliged Cubans to rely heavily on US rice for the first time. Chapter 3 explains that Asian rice reclaimed its place in Cuban markets in the 1920s, that Cuban efforts to boost rice production in the late 1920s brought meager results, and that in 1937–38 the US government negotiated new tariffs giving American rice farmers an edge over Asian ones in the Cuban market. The disruptions of World War II encouraged Cubans to try to grow more of their own rice, which they did, tripling output—but still accounting for only 3 percent of Cuban farm acreage. Chapters 4 and 5 detail the politics of rice and sugar in the 1950s. In the early 1950s, against the backdrop of a struggling economy, the Fulgencio Batista government made efforts once again to expand rice production, which had the potential to resolve the summer underemployment that came with the seasonality of sugar growing. But in 1956 Batista reversed course under pressure from sugar interests. An epilogue takes the story through the last 60 years, ending much where matters began, with Cuba importing the bulk of its rice.Pérez did research in at least eight cities. He used official documents, the press, trade publications, travel literature, and much else. The underlying research effort is one of the book's strengths. The audience that Pérez had in mind seems to be fellow scholars. The sources sometimes dominate the story, with long quotations from one or another official. A few quotations appear only in Spanish.The weakest feature in a strong book, in my judgment, is contextualization. Pérez focuses so intently on trade negotiations that he mentions only in passing important constraints and conditions that shape his larger story, such as the idea of comparative advantage and the ideology of free trade or the anxieties of Cold War Washington.

The rice water weevil (RWW), Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Kuschel), is the most important insect pest of rice in the United States. Integrated pest management strategies for RWW in Louisiana consist of cultural controls, resistant cultivars and chemical insecticides. The fourth component of IPM, biological control, is largely absent from the literature for RWW, making exploration of biological control a logical next step in developing a full set of IPM strategies. The three main types of biological control are augmentation, classical and conservation. With little known about RWW predators, conservation biological control makes the most sense as local natural enemy abundance is increased. Detrital subsidies have been shown to cause trophic cascades in agricultural system that can ultimately reduce herbivore populations via increased predator abundance. During the summer of 2013 and 2014, field experiments were carried out to determine if compost-manure additions to rice fields would cause an increase in invertebrate diversity and translates to a reduction in RWW numbers. Surveying of treatment (compost-manure additions) and control plots (no additions) for differences in invertebrates used four different sampling methods: root/soil corer, Gee crayfish trap, aquatic netting and floating pitfall traps. Based on sampling from this experiment, Notonecta sp., immature Pantanla sp. and T. lateralis were chosen to be used in aquaria experiments to test for predator effects on RWW. Detrital subsidies in both years failed to increase diversity of invertebrates or reduce RWW numbers. Plotting of feeding guilds over the course of both years showed predator populations paralleling prey populations. RWW oviposition and larval emergence was unaltered whether Notonecta sp. or Pantala sp. were present or not. Tropisternus lateralis, a herbivore/scavenger, also failed to alter RWW fecundity, suggesting that RWW may either not alter their behavior when other organisms are present or they may be able to differentiate between dangerous and non-dangerous arthropods. These experiments failed to cause a trophic cascade or identify predators of RWW. They did however demonstrate that a large prey population is present and that is utilized by a diverse predator assemblage still with the potential to be increased by detrital subsidies.

Evaluation of seed treatment insecticides for management of the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in commercial rice fields in Louisiana

When applied exogenously to plants, jasmonates [i.e., jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA)] increase plant resistance against herbivores, and their use in pest management has been suggested. For integration into pest management programs, the benefits of the resistance induced by jasmonates must outweigh the costs of jasmonates on plant growth and yield. A previous field study in rice found that seed treatment with MeJA reduced densities of the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus, but also reduced plant growth. Yields from MeJA plots were similar to yields from control plots. Because this study was conducted under field conditions with natural levels of pest populations, it was unclear whether effects on growth and yield were due to direct effects of MeJA treatment on the plant or due to lower reductions in rice water weevil densities. Therefore, the present study was designed to characterize the effects of JA and MeJA seed treatment on rice plant growth and yield in a pest-free environment under greenhouse conditions. Seed treatment with 2.5 mM JA and 2.5 mM MeJA enhanced resistance in rice plants to rice water weevils when plants were exposed to weevils 30 days after planting. Seed treatment with MeJA reduced seedling emergence and plant height at 4 and 14 days after planting, respectively, compared to JA and control treatments. However, numbers of tillers per plant at 45 days after planting and days to heading were unaffected by jasmonate seed treatment. Of four yield components (panicles per plant, filled grains per panicle, percent unfilled grains, and filled grain mass) that were measured, only filled grain mass was reduced by seed treatment. Plants grown from MeJA-treated seeds showed 31% lower grain masses compared to plants grown from control-treated seeds. Thus, the effects of seed treatment with MeJA on plant growth were stronger immediately post-treatment and subsided over time, such that plant growth mostly recovered 6 weeks after treatment. At maturity, MeJA may reduce one but not all components of yield. Despite similar effects on rice water weevil resistance, the negative effects of JA seed treatment on plant growth and yield were smaller compared to MeJA seed treatment.

The impact of a herbicide-tolerant rice, Oryza sativa L., variety was assessed for its resistance to rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and its place in current integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the resistance of a glufosinate-tolerant rice variety and its glufosinate-susceptible parent line Bengal to the rice water weevil in the presence and absence of glufosinate applications. The LC50 dose-response and behavioral effects of glufosinate on adult rice water weevils also were studied. Field studies investigated the impacts of glufosinate-tolerant rice on rice water weevil management in the presence and absence of glufosinate under early and delayed flood conditions. Greenhouse studies demonstrated that in the absence of glufosinate, oviposition was 30% higher on the glufosinate-tolerant rice line than on Bengal rice or on glufosinate-tolerant line treated with recommended rates of commercially formulated glufosinate. Applications of glufosinate to glufosinate-tolerant rice resulted in a 20% reduction in rice water weevil larval densities compared with nontreated glufosinate-tolerant rice. The LC50 of glufosinate against adult rice water weevil was nearly 2 times the concentration recommended for application to glufosinate-tolerant rice. There was no difference in the amount of leaf area consumed by adult rice water weevils on glufosinate-treated and nontreated foliage. The absence of direct toxicity of glufosinate to rice water weevil at recommended glufosinate use rates and lack of behavioral effects suggest that the reduction in rice water weevil densities observed after glufosinate applications resulted from herbicide-induced plant resistance. Field experiments showed that neither rice variety nor herbicide use affected larval densities; however, delaying flood and applying insecticide effectively reduced numbers of rice water weevil larvae.

Early generation selection of sugarcane families using means is inadequate while visual seedling selection is subjective and inefficient. Data from advanced variety trials (yield, quality and agronomic traits) are collected over several crop-years to determine yield potential and ratooning ability of genotypes follow a multivariate repeated measures structure. In Louisiana, the sugarcane borer and recently the Mexican rice borer are major insect pests of sugarcane. Both borers have similar feeding habits, providing an opportunity for investigating if genotypes resistant to one species would provide resistance to the other (cross-resistance). The objectives of the study were to identify statistical methods to evaluate family yield potential and repeatability, enhance seedling selection for yield, analyze advanced variety trials data and prove cross resistance between the sugarcane borer and the Mexican rice borer. Random coefficient models (RCM) identified elite families with higher cane yield potential and higher repeatability between seedlings and clones. These elite families comprised a larger proportion of higher yield seedlings that produced high yielding clones. Logistic regression models (LRM) provided an objective statistical decision support tool for selecting high yielding seedlings and were more flexible at adjusting the number of seedlings to advance than visual selection. The LRM can be used to identify important traits in breeding populations as well as directionally shifting population trait values during selection. Neural network models can be used to automate the LRM. The multivariate repeated measures analysis (MRM) reduced Type I errors associated with univariate analysis by including covariance to compute experimental errors. The MRM showed greater statistical differences among genotypes for yield traits than univariate analysis. Cross resistance between the sugarcane and Mexican rice borer was proved using log linear models, and using a population with known sugarcane borer resistance status. Using RCM will significantly increase the efficiency of early generation selection by identifying families with high yield potential and repeatability while LRM will increase efficiency of identifying high yielding seedlings from these elite families. MRM will increase the accuracy of evaluating genotypes for yield and ratooning ability. Cross-resistance will allow breeders to take advantage of parents from the sugarcane borer recurrent selection program.