Sugarcane borers: species, distribution, damage and management options

Abstract

Lepidopteran borers stand out as the most destructive pests in sugarcane, leading to reductions in stalk weight, juice quality and sugar recovery. Presently, integrated pest management (IPM) systems are utilized for sugarcane borer management, employing diverse methods encompassing cropping system, chemical pesticides, behavioral manipulation, biological agents and the selection of resistant varieties. However, the effectiveness of this strategy remains controversial due to concerns about harmful residues, formulation limitations, environmental variability, labor shortages and increased input costs. Currently, multiple lines of transgenic sugarcane expressing insecticidal genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been developed globally, offering the prospect of increases production with reduced pesticides application, thereby eliminating the negative effect of IPM. In Brazil, the first genetically modified sugarcane cultivars resistant to the sugarcane borer have been approved and released for commercial cultivation, shedding a bright light on a viable solution for sugarcane borers. This paper reviews borer species and distribution, the significant damage caused by sugarcane borers, current control approaches and the future effective control strategies. Additionally, this work provides comprehensive understanding on Bt sugarcane, serving as an additional tool to complement conventional sugarcane borers control resistance programs.

Genetic Engineering for Enhancing Sugarcane Tolerance to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses

“…Due to a sessile nature, plants must confront various living organisms in the environment (Figure 2). Weed infestation is a serious problem that negatively impacts the yield of sugarcane, resulting in significant economic losses [16,17]. Introducing genes that confer herbicide tolerance into sugarcane can aid in the breeding of transgenic sugarcane tolerant to herbicides, reducing labor intensity and costs while ensuring a higher yield of sugarcane.…”