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Background Stalk Borers Distribution of D. saccharalis: Jamaica and the New World Some 20 other borer species in the Americas eg:

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Published by , 2016-04-21 22:24:03

Sheckles farm in the context of Stalk Borer control in Jamaica

Background Stalk Borers Distribution of D. saccharalis: Jamaica and the New World Some 20 other borer species in the Americas eg:

Sheckles Farm in the
context of Stalk Borer

control in Jamaica

T Falloon
SIRI

Kendal Road
Mandeville

Background

Sugar Cane Stalk Borer – Diatraea
saccharalis; Lepidoptera: Pyralidae

Damage
 Tunnels into stalks
 Allows entry of red rot fungus
 Causes economic loss mainly by

breakdown and loss of sucrose
 May foster stalk breakage
 May allow entry of other pests eg weevil

borer

Background

Stalk Borers
Distribution of D. saccharalis: Jamaica and the

New World
Some 20 other borer species in the Americas eg:
 D. crambiboides - Fla
 D. minimifacta – Trin, Venezuela, Cayenne
 D. considerata – Mexico
 D. tabernella – Panama
 D. centrella – Guyana
 D. guatemalella – Guatemala
 Castniomera licus – Guyana
 Eoreuma loftini - Mexico, Texas
 etc

Borer Control

 Biological control practiced
throughout the Americas

 Exchange of parasites between
countries

 Introduction of parasites from
outside the region – eg. Cotesia
flavipes from Pakistan

 Florida – biological and chemical
control

Stalk Borer Killed in Field by
Cotesia flavipes

Background

Jamaican Distribution
 Borer in all cane growing areas
 Heavier damage in arid southern

plains of Clarendon & St Catherine

Borer Damage Levels in Jamaica

Decade % Internodes
Bored
1930s 3.9
1940s 3.6
1950s 4.8
1960s No data
1970s 5.6
1980s 8.2
1990s 9.0
2000s 9.7

Borer Surveys

Caution
 Changed geographical configuration of the

Industry
 Disappearance of Grays Inn, Serge Island,

Richmond Llandovery, Barnett, United
Estates etc
 Surveys often not random but carried out
in response to concerns, or used as
monitoring tool for specific purposes
 1980s onwards - bias towards irrigated
areas

Borer Damage – New Yarmouth,
Recent Years

Year % Internodes
Bored
2002
2003 13.0
2004 8.5
2005 8.7
2006 17.8
2007 11.0
2009 13.4
2010 13.6
4.7

Borer Control - New Yarmouth

 Site of Cotesia establishment in 1983
 Heightened concerns since 1990s
 8 -13% internode damage typical
 Forced resumption of rearing &

release of Cotesia
 Estate set up its own rearing lab in

2004
 Discontinued project after 2 years

with no change in damage levels

Cotesia flavipes in Laboratory
Culture Tube

Bio-control Challenges

 Antagonism noted between local and
imported species

 High levels of local parasite, the
Cuban fly, coinciding with low levels
of Cotesia and vice versa

 Very little net gain in total parasitism
 High borer populations seem to

coexist with high levels of parasitism

Borer Control - New Yarmouth

 2010 – Unexpected turn of events
 Borer collection suddenly became difficult
 Areas which for years guaranteed a quick

catch were suddenly devoid of borers
 Survey results confirmed observations
 Damage levels had plummeted to 4.7% -

below the economic damage threshold
 Bio-control success? Time will tell.

Expanded Survey Results, 2011

Bernard Lodge % Internodes
Farms Bored
Caymanas South 4.2
Caymanas North 5.0
St Helens 4.3
Salt Pond 4.3
March Pen 5.1
Warwick Castle 4.8
Windsor 5.3

Expanded Survey Results

Monymusk Farms % Internodes
Bored
Exeter 5.4
St Jago
8.2

Expanded Survey Results

Wet West Farms % Internodes
Bored
Appleton 4.5
Raheen
Holland 4.5

6.9

Expanded Survey Results

Wet West Farms % Internodes Bored

Frome, Frome 4.0

Frome, Albany 4.7

Frome, Blue Castle 4.5

Private Farm

**Pinkney’s, Bull 15.5
Head

** Farm showing atypical damage in the Wet West

Extraordinary Damage - Sheckles
farm, 2010

Field Variety % Internodes
Bored

Block 1 BJ78100 16.5

Block 2 BJ7015 27.6
Block 3 BJ7465 13.5

Average 19.2

Unusual susceptibility of BJ7015 exposed. Not observed elsewhere

Sheckles Farm, Clarendon

Borer Parasitism - Sheckles

Unusual mix of parasites noted
 Unlike rest of Industry, where Agathis

accounts for less than 1% of parasitism,
at Sheckles this parasite enjoys equal
prominence with the Cuban fly
(Lixophaga):
 Agathis 9%; Cuban fly 10%; Cotesia 3%

Borer Parasitism, Sheckles, 2010 &
2011

25.0

% Internodes Bored 20.0

15.0
2010

10.0 2011

5.0

0.0 Tot
Lixophaga Agathis Cotesia

Agathis stigmaterus Cocoon

Agathis stigmaterus - Adult

Sheckles

 Isolated cane farm north of Four
Paths

 Area totally harvested in 2 weeks
 With harvest – sudden removal of

food for the borer
 Drop in borer population leads to

drop in associated natural enemies
 Lag time between borer

reappearance and parasite build up
leads to explosion in borer
population

Sheckles Isolated from Other Cane
Fields

Proposed Solution

 Establish plots of cane to serve as
reservoirs for parasites when fields
are harvested

 Reservoirs to be cut out of sync with
the farm ensuring the presence of
standing cane at all times

 Intensify parasite release in the area
(tens of thousands released so far in
2011)

Parasite Reservoir Established

Parasite reservoir

Pinkney’s Bullhead Farm

 15% Internode damage unusually
high, especially for the Wet West

 Frome experiencing <5% damage
 Focus of Cotesia releases

Conclusions

 The Industry now largely within
acceptable damage levels

 Results a vindication of the biological
control programme

 Against this trend, there is a major
challenge at Sheckles and to a lesser
extent, Bullhead

 Ultimately, these also will be
controlled by biological methods


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