INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT OF SUGARCANE PYRILLA, Pyrilla perpusilla WLK. (HOMOPTERA : LOPHOPIDAE) IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

The study was conducted on IPM of P. perpusilla, on various sugarcane genotypes, in the research area of Sugarcane Research Institute, AARI, Faisalabad, during 2006 to 2008. Twenty genotypes of sugarcane were tested for their resistance/susceptibility under replicated field trials against P. perpusilla, as a preliminary screening experiment. The most resistant variety, HSF-240 was selected for further experiments after final screening trials. The role of weather in the population fluctuations of the pest was also determined. Various physio-morphic and chemical plant-characters, viz., leaf width, leaf length, leaf spines density, cane length, cane diameter, nitrogen, phosphorus, total minerals, calcium, magnesium, fat, CHO, copper, zinc, POL, Brix, CCS and fiber contents were determined from the selected genotypes with the objective to ascertain the role of these factors, towards the resistance/susceptibility, against the pest, under test. Various control methods, like, cultural (fortnightly hoeing, detrashing of older leaf two times and trash mulching at the time of sowing), biological (release of cocoons of Epiricania melanoleuca @ 2500/ha four times from June 15 to September 15) , chemical (carbofuron @ 35 kg/ha from one month after sowing and coupled with earthing up), were applied singly and in their possible combinations, such as, biological + cultural, biological + chemical, cultural + chemical and cultural + chemical + biological control with the objective to keep the pest population below the economic threshold level and to find the most economical and effective method of control, for communication to the farmers. Application of cultural + chemical + biological controls in combination, resulted in a minimum population of P. perpusilla i.e., 0.32/leaf, whereas cultural methods showed a maximum population of 3.65/leaf, of the pest. The maximum yield, was recorded to be 3415.67 mounds/ha, in those treatments where cultural + chemical + biological control methods, were implicated and the minimum yield of 2214.33 mounds/ha, was observed, in application of cultural method. The application of cultural + chemical + biological control methods resulted in maximum net gain i.e., Rs. 149167/- with a cost-benefit ratio of 9.44 and was found to be the best treatment.