EFFICIENCY OF BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SUGARCANE INTERNODE BORERS

摘要

Sugarcane is one of the important commercial crops attacked by more than a dozen pests, of which the attack and subsequent damage by borer pests is of economic importance. Hence, field trials to assess the combined efficiency of the bio control agents namely Trichogramma, Cotesia and Tetrastichus that are mass multiplied at Parry research and development Centre Bangalore were undertaken. The study was undertaken during July to December 2003 at Nellikuppam and Pudukottai mill area. The result revealed that these three parasitoids recorded a reduction of 52.73% in borer population. This is because of the natural enemies when released in the plots increases rapidly in the field immediately after release, reaches a peak during July -December and brought rapid control of the borers Based on the results schedule for the release of all the three natural enemies were planned. By this schedule, all three parasitoids were released at a particular period of time coinciding with the bio ecology of the borer life cycle thereby maximum efficiency was obtained with the release.