Sugarcane: Pests

Pests of National Significance

Insect and mite pests

Borers

• Early shoot borer: Chilo infuscatellus Snellen (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
• Pink borer: Sesamia inferens Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
• Top shoot borer: Scirpophaga excerptalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
• Root borer: Emmalocera depressella (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
• Internode borer: Chilo sacchariphagus indicus (Kapur) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
• Stalk borer: Chilo auricilius Dudgeon (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Sucking pests

• White woolly aphid: Ceratovacuna lanigera Zehntner (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
• Black bug: Cavelerius sweeti Dist. (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae)
• Whitefly: Aleurolobus barodensis Maskell (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)
• Pyrilla: Pyrilla perpusilla Walker (Hemiptera: Lophopidae)
• Mealybug: Saccharicoccus sacchari Cockerell, (Hemiptera: Pseudococcoidae)
• Mite: Oligonychus sacchari McGregor (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae)

Subterranean pest

• Termites: Odontotermes spp. (Isoptera: Termitidae)

Diseases

• Red rot: Colletotrichum falcatum Went
• Wilt: Acremonium implicatum, (Gilman & Abbott) Gams, Fusarium moniliforme sub sp. Glotinans J. Sheld
• Grassy shoot: Mycoplasma like organism (MLO)
• Smut: Ustilago scitaminea (Syd.) M. Piepenbr., M. Stoll & Oberw
• Scald: Xanthomonas albilineans Dowson
• Red striped disease: Xanthomonas rubrilineans Dowson

Weeds

Major Kharif

• Pigweed: Amaranthus viridisHook. F. (Amaranthaceae)
• Swine cress: Coronopus didymus(L.) Sm. (Brassicaceae)
• Black nightshade: Solanum nigrum L. (Solanaceae)
• Common purselane: Portulaca oleracea L. (Portualacaceae)
• False amaranth: Digera arvensis Forssk. (Amaranthaceae)
• Lambs quarter: Chenopodium album L. (Chenopodiaceae)
• Scarlet pimpernel: Anagallis arvensis L. (Primulaceae)
• Sweet clover: Melilotus indica(L.) All. (Fabaceae)
• Field bindweed: Convolvulus arvensis L. (Convolvulaceae)
• Fine leaf fumitory: Fumaria parvifl ora Lam. (Fumariaceae)
• Corn spurry: Spergula arvensis L. (Caryophyllaceae)
• Carrot grass: Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae)
• Horse purslane: Trianthema portulacastrum L. (Aizoaceae)
• Goat weed: Ageratum conyzoides L. (Asteraceae)
• Tropical spider wort: Commelina benghalensis L. (Commelinaceae)
• False daisy: Eclipta alba L. (Asteraceae)
• Spurge: Euphorbia hirta L. (Euphorbiaceae)

Grasses

• Crabgrass: Digiteria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. (Poaceae)
• Barnyard grass: Echinochloa crusgalli(L.) Beauv. (Poaceae)
• Bermuda grass: Cynodon dactylon(L.) Pers. (Poaceae)
• Wild sugarcane: Saccharum spontaneum L. (Poaceae)
• Johnson grass: Sorghum halapense (L.) Pers. (Poaceae)
• Torpedo grass: Panicum repens L. (Poaceae)
• Bluegrass: Poa annua L. (Poaceae)
• Chinese lovegrass: Eragrostis unioloides (Retz.) Nees. Ex Steud. Poaceae
• Goosegrass: Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertner (Poaceae)

Sedges

• Purple nutsedge: Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae)
• Flat sedge: Cyperus iria L. (Cyperaceae)

Rodent & Mammals

• Lesser bandicoot: Bandicota bengalensis Gray (Rodentia: Muridae)
• Soft furred field rat: Millardia meltada Gray (Rodentia: Muridae)
• Jackal: Canis aureus L. (Carnivora: Canidae)

Nematodes

• Lesion nematode: Pratylenchus coffeae Goodey
• Lance nematode: Hoplolaimus indicus, Sher
• Reniform nematode: Rotylenchulus reniformis Linford and Oliveira
• Root knot nematode: Meloidogyne spp.

Pest of Regional Significance

Insect pests

• Plassy borer: Chilo tumidicostalis Hampson (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
• Scale insect: Melanaspis glomerata Green (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)
• White grub: Holotrichia consanguinea Blanch. (Coleoptera: Scarabeidae)
• Gurdaspur borer: Acigona steniellus Hampson (Lepidoptera:Crambidae)
• Green borer: Raphimetopus ablutellus (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Diseases

• Pokkahboeng: Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon
• Rust: Puccinia melanocephala H. & P. Syd.
• Mosaic: Sugarcane mosaic virus
• Yellow Leaf Disease: Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (SCYLV)

IPM for Sugarcane

To know the IPM practices for Sugarcane, click here.

Source: NIPHM and Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage