No. 9 October
| Diatraea spp. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae, formerly Pyralidae) belongs to the group of insects known as sugarcane borers and is one of the most economically important pests in this crop. In the Cauca River Valley there are two species, D. saccharalis y D. indigenella, In their larval state they feed inside the stems and build galleries to finally abandon the cane transformed into moths or butterflies. The damage caused by the insect reduces the weight of the stems and in some cases causes their death, which directly affects sugarcane production. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the borer populations in order to implement control measures in a timely manner. This is even more important if one takes into account that Cenicaña, in collaboration with the sugar mills, detected increases in the pest in the southern and central areas of the Cauca River valley in 2005, where its levels were considered to remain low. This situation is a warning about the need to strengthen actions for the comprehensive management of the pest in order to ensure the health of sugarcane crops and their productivity. For pest management, a comprehensive strategy has been followed that includes systematic sampling of the fields and biological control through the release of natural enemies of the parasitoid insect of eggs and larvae, whose purpose is to maintain the populations of Diatraea at low levels and promptly address fields where outbreaks are detected. This document presents a guide to assess insect damage in the field by calculating the percentage of bored internodes (infestation intensity) and suggests pest management alternatives to control their populations. |
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