Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1990 Assessing the Potential Impact of Sugarcane Varieties and Predation on Diatraea Saccharalis (F.) Populations in Southern Louisiana. Ricardo Tomas Bessin Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Bessin, Ricardo Tomas, "Assessing the Potential Impact of Sugarcane Varieties and Predation on Diatraea Saccharalis (F.) Populations in Southern Louisiana." (1990). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 4896. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/4896 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. 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University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Order Number 0104118 Assessing the potential impact of sugarcane varieties and predation onDiatraea saccharalis (F.) populations in southern Louisiana Bessin, Ricardo Tomds, Ph.D. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical Col., 1990 UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Aibor, MI 48106 r Assessing the Potential Impact of Sugarcane Varieties and Predation on Diatraea saccharalis (F.) Populations in Southern Louisiana. A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Entomology by Riccirdo Tomas Bessin M. Ap. Stat., Louisiana State University May 1990 Acknowledgments I wish to express my appreciation to Dr. Thomas E. Reagan who has served as my major advisor. My advisory committee consisting of Drs. E. Barry Moser, Freddie A. Martin, William H. White, and Elvis A. Heinrichs deserve special thanks for their continuing assistance in all aspects of my research program. Additionally, I would like to thank Billy W. Fuller and Jeff L. Flynn for their many days of assistance in collecting data, Dr. Ron Stinner for his assistance in developing the simulation model, and Mr. Pete Lannaux and Mr. Dennis Lannaux for the use of a portion of their plantation for the varietal evaluation studies. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all the people at the Department of Entomology, the LSU Sugar Station, the International Teaching and Research Foundation for Agricultural Sciences, and the Louisiana State University who have assisted me. I especially would like to thank my wife Susan and sons Scott and Sean for the many sacrifices they have made on my behalf. Table of Contents Page Acknowledgements .................................... il Table of Contents ................................... iii List of Tables ...................................... v List of Figures ..................................... viii Abstract ............................................ ix Introduction ........................................ 1 Literature Review ................................... 4 Chapter I Integration of Control Tactics for Management of the Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Louisiana Sugarcane ........................................... 12 Introduction ................................... 13 Materials and Methods ........................... 14 Results ........................................ 17 Discussion ..................................... 28 References Cited ............................... 37 Chapter II A Moth Production Index for Evaluating Sugarcane Cultivars for Resistance to the Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) ............................. 40 Introduction ................................... 41 Materials and Methods ...................... 43 Results ........................................ 45 Discussion ..................................... 50 References Cited ............................... 56 Table of Contents (continued) Page Chapter III Sugarcane Borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.) (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae), Fecundity as Affected by Larval Development on Gramineous Host Plants ......... 59 Introduction ................................... 60 Materials and Methods ........................... 61 Results ........................................ 63 Discussion ..................................... 72 References Cited ............................... 75 Chapter IV Modeling Potential Impacts of Sugarcane Varieties and Predation on Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Populations in Southern Louisiana ......... 78 Introduction ................................... 79 Materials and Methods ........................ 82 Results ........................................ 88 Discussion ..................................... 95 References Cited ............................... 99 Summary ............................................. 102 List of References ................................... 106 Appendices ................................. 116 A. Source code for the Diatraea saccharalis (F.) Stochastic Simulation model ...................... 117 B. Copyright permissions ........................... 133 Vita ................................................ 136 iv List of Tables Table Page Chapter I. Integration of Control Tactics for Management of the Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Louisiana Sugarcane 1. Effects of predator suppression on the abundance of selected insect and spider taxa in pitfall traps collected at 2-week intervals at the St. Gabriel Research Station during 1985, 1986 and 1987 .................................... 19 2. Comparison of Diatraea saccharalis damage and adult emergence from sugarcane as determined by end-of-season stalk inspection during 1985, 1986 and 1987 ............................... 21 3. Statistical analysis of management factor combinations in sugarcane on sugar yield, during 1985, 1986 and 1987 at the St. Gabriel Research Station, St. Gabriel, LA ..................... 27 4. Comparison of sugar yields among three sugarcane varieties during 1985, 1986 and 1987 with and without D. saccharalis insecticidal control at the St. Gabriel Research Station, St. Gabriel, LA .......................................... 29 5. Relative contributions of arthropod predation, varietal resistance, and fenvalerate in control­ ling sugarcane borer injury to sugarcane and adult moth production........................ 3 0 Chapter II. A Moth Production Index for Evaluating Sugarcane Cultivars for Resistance to the Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) 1. Comparison of Diatraea saccharalis damage to three commercial sugarcane cultivars and resultant survival of older larvae inside the stalks during a three-year study on the St. Gabriel Research Station ..................... 46 2. Damage by Diatraea saccharalis and relative survival inside the stalk in four commercial and 12 experimental cultivars (1985 LCP series) on the Glendale Plantation, near Edgard, La. 1987 ..... 47 v List of Tables (continued) Table Page 3. Comparison of Diatraea saccharalis adult emergence from three commercial sugarcane cultivars during a three-year study on the St. Gabriel Research Station ................... 51 Chapter III. Sugarcane Borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), Fecundity as Affected by Larval Development on Gramineous Host Plants Comparison of lengths, diameters, and weights of sugarcane borer pupae collected from four gramineous hosts at the St. Gabriel Research Station during 1987 and 1988 ............... 65 2 . Correlations among D. saccharalis fecundity and pupal physical characteristics collected from four gramineous hosts at the St. Gabriel Research Station during 1987 and 1988 ........ 68 3. Comparison of the mean fecundity and egg viability of D. saccharalis collected from four gramineous hosts at the St. Gabriel Research Station during 1987 and 1988 ................. 70 4. Reproductive statistics