SURVEY AND SURVEILLANCE OF SUGARCANE INSECT PESTS UNDER CUDDALORE DISTRICT OF TAMIL NADU; SOUTH INDIA

Surveys and surveillance were conducted in sugarcane fields both in plant and ratoon crops distributed over certain villages and at sugarcane research station farm of TamilNadu Agricultural University at Cuddalore in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, South India during 2019-20 and 2020-21. The objective is to explore and to monitor and to gather the information of insect pests in this area towards developing survey schedule for the farmers to recommend management measurers and to assess the intensity or any outbreak of emerging or invasive pests.

Two fixed plot surveys, one in the month of May, 2019 and the another in September 2020 were laid out at Sugarcane Research Station, Cuddalore. The first one was with the cultivar CoC 24 in an area of 50 cents and the second fixed plot experiment was with the cane varieties CoC 24 and Co 86032 in an area of 50 cents each. In the first fixed plot survey of May first fortnight of 2019, on 30 days after planting (DAP) the mean early shoot borer, Chilo infuscatellus Snellen damage was 55.2 percent. The mean percent early shoot borer, Chilo infuscatellus Snellen damage of 7.8 and 10.3 were recorded in the variety CoC 24 during the first fortnight of July month of 2019 coinciding with 54 days after planting. Monitoring for the incidence of sugarcane internode borer Chilo sacchariphagus indicus during the month of November, 2019 revealed the internode borer, Chilo sacchariphagus indicus to the tune of 16.4 mean percent damage in the sugarcane variety CoC 24 raised in the fixed plot experiment laidout during May, 2019 at Sugarcane Research Station, Cuddalore.

Roving surveys were conducted to monitor the status of incidences of pests of sugarcane in the villages of Cuddalore district viz., Sundaravandi, Pallavanatham and Thirukandeeswaram in varieties viz., PI 01401, Co 86032 and Co 86032 respectively. Survey revealed the presence of internode borer Chilo sacchariphagus indicus damage to the tune of 15.0, 16.6 and 15.5 percent respectively during February, 2020. Roving surveys were also conducted in Semmandalam – Sugarcane Research Station farm of Cuddalore from July 2020 to February 2021. The mean early shoot borer, Chilo infuscatellusSnellen incidences ranged from 52.6 to 24.5 in varieties CoC 24, CoC 25, Co 86032 and Co 13339. Sugarcane whitefly, Aleurolobus barodensis infestations were noticed during August, September, October, November months of 2020. The mean incidences were ranged from the minimum of 8.9 percent leaf damage in the month of November 2020 to the maximum of 51.1 percent leaf damage during October, 2020 irrespective of the varieties. The lowest sugarcane Jassid (Pyrilla), Pyrilla perpusilla damage of 3.4 percent in December, 2020 to the maximum of 32.9 percent in the month of October, 2020 and the maximum mean incidence of 36.4 percent mite infestation was observed in the month of October, 2020.