A great problem for the Brazilian sugarcane plantations, the rootworm causes significant damages in the states of São Paulo, Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, and especially Minas Gerais, where more severe losses are recorded, reducing productivity and quality of the raw material.
The insect cycle begins in September, with the rainy season. The first generation, although small, has sufficient capacity of development until the adult phase, that will make the posture of the second generation, already in greater quantity.
Other factors are also associated with the occurrence of the pest, such as the population history of the area, the management, the high amount of straw, the most susceptible sugarcane varieties and the sugarcane seasoning season. “The climatic condition, however, is the main parameter to be analyzed, since it allows the pest to be maintained in the area, and the effect may influence the increase or decrease of the pest population,” explains Ana Paula Bonilha, development specialist for product and market of Ourofino Agrociência.
Without the burning, which naturally controls the population of various pests, including the root-spittlebug, the area prevails, which has moisture as its great ally. With this, the environment becomes favorable for the development of the insect.
The damage caused by the rootworm, which measures about 13 mm in length in adulthood, can reach 60% loss of productivity. The percentage is higher in cane harvested at the end of the harvest, when the plant is more susceptible to attack.
The attack of the spittlebugs leaves the plants more susceptible to access by other organisms. A good example is phytopathogenic fungi that cause direct damage – in the development of the plant – or indirect, which compromise the quality of the raw material, such as red rot.
For effective control, monitoring is imperative to decide the combat strategy, which must be carried out 15 days after the start of the rainy season. “Detecting the first generation allows for more efficient control and therefore it must be maintained throughout the infestation period – that is, between March and April,” recommends Ana Paula.
Nowadays, population survey is an activity that demands a high amount of labor and does not provide an operational income at the same level (depending on the size of the area). “Cost often does not make it achievable. Therefore, monitoring is ideal to recognize the reality of the field and, thus, to define the control “, guides Helvio Campoy Junior, researcher of insecticides of Ourofino.
Integrated Management
An essential tool for the control of any pests, integrated management is indispensable for roothoppers. “It is extremely important to carry out a survey of the population infestation in the areas so that, through this monitoring, it is possible to decide which type of management to do: chemical, biological or cultural”, points out Roberto Toledo, manager of herbicides and sugarcane- Ourofino sugar. Chemical control is considered the main tool for this work, although the biological one is generally applied in areas with populations of the plague still quite low.