PESTS OF SUGARCANE – BORERS AND ROOT FEEDERS

As many as 200 species of insect pests have been reported to cause damage to the sugarcane crop at one stage or the other of crop growth. However, borers, white grub and termite in ratoon crops are recognized as major pests. Among the borers, top borer is of concern in North India. Early shoot borer and internode borer are prevalent throughout the sugarcane growing areas. Gurdaspur borer and stalk borer have gained prominence in North and North western parts of the country.

Damage symptom

The sugarcane crop because of its long duration and the dense growth of canopy is least amenable to application of insecticidal sprays. The burrowing nature of the borer larvae also reduces the reach of insecticidal sprays.