Integrated pest management of sugarcane

• Select healthy cane seed, free of borers, scale insects and mealy bug etc
• Cane seed be scrubbed with 0.1% malathion in areas affected by scale insects, mealy bugs and the borers
• Conspicuous egg masses of top borer, pleasy borer and leaf hopper be handpicked and destroyed as a regular campaign during Feb – March
• In white grub endemic area follow regular campaign from May onward
• In late June or early July, where top borer is a serious problem, apply carbofuran 3G @ 1kg a.i/ha near the base of the cane followed by light irrigation
• Pyrilla endemic areas are surveyed for parasitoid population. If present in good number, the spraying be avoided, otherwise the crop sprayed with 0.03% malathion @ 1/ha
• In case of mite infestation, the affected leaves be clipped and destroyed, the severe incidence can be controlled by spraying dicofol (Kelthane) 0.1 per cent
• At the time of harvest, the stumps which harbor diapausing larvae should be injected with insecticide with oil cane