Sugarcane Nineteenth to twentieth week practices

• Irrigation should be given in this week.

Mealy Bug:

Symptoms:

• Newly emerged nymphs are quite active with a pinkish transparent body. Adults are white with mealy coating, sessile.
• Pinkish oval insects beneath leaf sheath on the nodes, with whitish mealy coating, main cane stunned also attack roots. Sooty mold develops on the honey dew giving a blackish appearance on canes.

Management:

Cultural control:

Grow resistant varieties like- CO 439, CO 443, CO 720, CO 730 and CO 7704. Avoidance of overdose of nitrogen and repeated ratoons in areas prone to the pest should be ensured. Drain excess water from the field and avoid water stress conditions. 

Mechanical Control:

Detrashing is the single most effective practice that can easily disturb and dislodge fully developed females. 

Biological Control:

Release of natural enemies such as Chilocorus, Hyperaspis, Chrysoperla, Aphytis, Coccophagus and Encarsia etc. @30000 to 40000 thousand grubs/acre. 

Chemical Control:

Spray of any one of insecticides such as Acephate 75% SP @ 300-400g or Dimethoate 30% EC @ 200-250 ml or Monocrotophos 36% SL @ 600 ml/acre dissolve in 250-300 lit. of water/acre.