www.thaiagj.org Thai Journal of Agricultural Science 2015, 48(2): 59-66 Effectiveness of Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii) against Sugarcane Stem Borer, Chilo infuscatellus (Snell) in Different Sugarcane Varieties A.U.R. Saljoqi1,*, K. Anwar1, I.A. Khan2, M. Salim1, M. Nadeem1 and Z. Huma1 1Department of Plant Protection, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar-Pakistan 2Department of Entomology, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar-Pakistan *Corresponding author, Email: [email protected] Abstract These studies were conducted to find out the efficacy of different release methods of Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii) in different sugarcane varieties for the management of sugarcane stem borer, Chilo infuscatellus (Snell) in sugarcane plant crop. The results showed that the infestation of C. infuscatellus in different sugarcane varieties started in April and continued till the end of the October. Significantly lowest percent infestation of C. infuscatellus (1.76%) was recorded in variety CP-77/400 followed by SPSG-79 (2.80%). While significantly highest percent infestation (3.36%) of C. infuscatellus was recorded in variety Mardan-92. The data also showed significant differences in the different release methods of T. chilonis. Significantly lowest percent infestation (1.74%) of C. infuscatellus was recorded in different plots treated with inundative release method followed by plots treated with inoculative release method, where 2.68% infestation of C. infuscatellus was recorded. Maximum percent infestation of C. infuscatellus 3.50% was recorded in control. The data regarding the yield of sugarcane revealed that significantly highest yield, 89.38 tones ha-1 was recorded in CP-77/400 through inundative release method. Overall, inundative release method and variety CP77/40 was found most effective in reducing the percent infestation of sugarcane stem borerand increasing the yield of sugarcane. Keywords: sugarcane stem borers, Trichogramma chilonis, inoculative&inundative release methods, sugarcane varieties Introduction The average sugarcane yield in Pakistan ranges from 44-47 tons ha-1, which is much lower as Sugarcane is an important cash crop of Pakistan compared with other sugarcane growing and an important source of income and employment countries of the world such as India (69 tons ha-1), for the farming community of Pakistan (Hussain et USA (84 tons ha-1) and Egypt (107 tons ha-1). The al., 2007). Sugarcane provides raw materials for yield is not only due to the climatic barriers but industries like paper and chipboard manufacturing. also involves improper cultural practices, lack of Its shares in value added agriculture and GDP is 3.4 irrigation, adaptation of uncertified seed, late percent and 0.7 %, respectively (Malik and sowing and harvesting, bad ratooning, insect pests Gurmani, 2005) Total cane area in Pakistan and diseases. Due to these constraints, present yield during 2011-12 was 1029.4 thousand hectares with of sugarcane in the country is nearly 80 % below cane production of 50045.4 thousand tones. Among the demonstrated achievable potential (Riaz, 2003). this Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 98.2 thousand hectares Among all these factors insect pests are the most with 4408.5thousand tones (Food and Agriculture important one. Insect pests are threat to sugarcane Division, 2012). crop. About 103 insects are associated with 60 A.U.R. Saljoqi et al. Thai Journal of Agricultural Science sugarcane (Kumarasinghe, 1999). Insect pests et al., 2004). In sugarcane T. chilonis reduces stalk cause heavy losses in terms of cane yield and borer incidence by 55-60% (Shenhmar et al., 2003; lower sugar recovery (Rosa, 2005). Among these Saljoqi and Walayati, 2013). the sugarcane borers are most damaging one (Aheer In case of sugarcane varietals resistance against et al., 1994). stem borer infestation, it is revealed that in early Sugarcane stem borer, Chilo infuscatellus maturing varieties of sugarcane plant crop average (Snellen), is one of the serious pests of sugarcane in infestation of stem borer ranged from 0.76 to 1.67 Pakistan especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Gul, % in varieties MS. 91, CP. 1154 and Mardan 93. In 2007). The plants attacked by this pest produce mid maturing varieties of sugarcane the infestation dead hearts from April to June and after formation of stem borer ranged from 0.68 to 0.89 % in MS. of canes, its attacks are confined to internodes only. 91, CP. 716 and MS. 92 varieties. In early maturing The stem borer reduce sugarcane yield up to 30-45 sugarcane varieties of ratoon crop infestation of percent (Anwar et al., 2004). stem borer was significantly the lowest (1.75 %) in Extensive and injudicious use of insecticides not varieties MS. 91, CP. 1157 and MS. 91 and highest only creates the health hazards problem and (2.90 %) in CP. 77/400 (Gul, 2007). environmental pollution but also created resistance Keeping in view the importance of the pest and problem in large number of insect pests its parasitoid, the present studies was initiated to (Mohyuddin et al., 1997). It has been reported that study the field effectiveness of T. chilonis through more than 500 pest species have developed inoculative and inundative field release methods, resistance against insecticides (Georghion and different sugarcane varieties and their interaction Lagunes, 1991). Indiscriminate use of pesticides against sugarcane stem borer and also to find out kill the natural enemies resulting in flare up of pest their effects on the yield of sugarcane crop. population (Yousaf, 1996). All these problems associated with use of the pesticides have renewed Materials and Methods the interest in Integrated Pest Management programs that emphasize the biological control The experiment was laid out in Randomized which is very effective pest control strategy Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four (Mohyuddin et al., 1997). The safety of biological replications. The Trichogramma was applied on control is outstanding as many natural enemies are inundative and inoculative release methods in restricted to their host and hence no effect on non- different sugarcane varieties i.e CP 77/400, SPSG- targets species. Biological control is relatively 79-79 and Mardan-92 followed procedures of permanent, safe, economical and environment Saljoqi and Walayati (2013). The data recorded friendly (Shenhmar et al., 2003). were statistically analyzed through by MSTAT-C Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii) is one of the most (Michigan State University, 1991), and means for important and widely used bio-control agents different parameters were separated by applying against sugarcane stem borer (Sen, 2003; Saljoqi least significant difference (LSD) testat 0.05 % and Walayati, 2013). The inundative releases of level of probability (Gomez and Gomez, 1984). bio-agents for control of lepidopterous pests are being practiced in more than 32 million hectares Rearing of Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii) each year around the world (Hassan, 1993; Saljoqi T. chilonis culture was maintained on the eggs of et al., 2012). T. chilonis releases in China, Sitotrogacerealella (olive) in controlled Switzerland, Canada and former USSR reduced the environmental conditions at bio-control lab in the damage up to 70-92% on sugarcane, corn and Department of Plant Protection, The University of cotton crops (Lily, 1994), while in Asia, releases of Agriculture, Peshawar-Pakistan. For rearing of the T. Chilonis remarkably reduced the incidence of host and parasitoid procedures of the Saljoqi and cotton boll worm (Helicoverpaarmigera) and He-Yurong (2004) and Saljoqi et al. (2012) were sugarcane early shoot borer (Chiloinfuscatellus) by followed. 43 and 82%, respectively (Bharati et al., 2002; Bhut Vol. 48, No. 2, 2015 Effectiveness of T. chilonis against sugarcane stem borer 61 Field Release of T. chilonis Against Sugarcane Table 1 Schedule for inundative release of Trichogramma Stem Borer chilonis (Ishii) in sugarcane crop during, 2009 Agronomically well managed farmer's fields/plots with sugarcane crops were selected in S. No Treatment Interval Dose (day) (cards acre-1) Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan during 1 1st release 0 days 10 cropping season 2009. The parasitized egg cards nd 2 2 release 15 10 ready to emerge in 24 hrs were stapled to the leaves 3 3rd release 30 10 of sugarcane in the fields. These egg cards were 4 4th release 45 10 applied on innocultive and inundative release 5 5th release 60 10 methods. The Trichocards application through 6 6th release 75 10 innocultive release method is practiced once a year 7 7th release 90 10 to re-establish a species of natural enemy that is 8 8th release 105 10 periodically killed out in an area by unfavorable conditions during part of the year but which operates very effectively the rest of the year. No. of dead hearts Control is expected from the progeny and Percent Infestation = --------------------------- x100 Total No. of canes subsequent generations, not form the release itself. In this method 10 tricho cards each having 500 eggs Yield were stapled once at the beginning of pest Yield data were collected in kilograms and then emergence in plant crop of sugarcane. converted in to Tones ha-1. In inundative release method, large number of Trichocards was applied where control of the stem Results and Discussion borer is normally expected from the Trichocards which were applied at that time in the field. In this Percent Infestation of C. infuscatellus method 80 Trichocards per acre each having 500 The infestation of C. infuscatellus in different eggs and ready to emergence in 24 hrs, was applied sugarcane varieties started in April and continued during the entire season, at 15 days intervals. The till the end of the October. The data presented in schedule for inundative release of T. chilonis in Table 2 shows the percent infestation of C. sugarcane crop is given in Table 1. infuscatellus in sugarcane variety CP-77/400 at different time intervals. The mean data of the Percent Infestation percent infestation of C. infuscatellus as affected by The effect of T. chilonis on sugarcane stem release methods including control shows that borer in treated and checks plots in different initially the percent infestation was found very low.