Lahore: The Punjab Agriculture Department has issued an advisory for the control of Sugarcane Pyrilla, urging farmers to protect their crop from harmful insect attacks to achieve higher per-acre yields.
According to a press release issued here on Sunday as per the advisory, Sugarcane Pyrilla is a sap-sucking pest that attacks sugarcane crops. Both nymphs and adults suck sap from the underside of leaves.
The honeydew-like substance excreted by the pest promotes the growth of black sooty mould, which adversely affects the photosynthesis process in the leaves.
For effective control of Sugarcane Pyrilla, farmers should, in fields where sufficient parasitoids are present, cut and remove leaves carrying parasitoid eggs and cocoons in sections approximately six inches long.
The advisory said that sugarcane whitefly nymphs also damage the crop by sucking sap from leaves. In case of severe infestation, the leaves turn pale and dry up, while plant growth is adversely affected.
In case of a Pyrilla attack, farmers should catch and destroy adult insects and nymphs using hand nets. If the infestation is limited to a small area, the affected leaves should be cut and buried in the soil.
Farmers have also been advised to apply granular insecticides, after consulting local agricultural experts of the Punjab Agriculture department, before the sugarcane crop reaches a height of six feet.
The department urged farmers not to burn sugarcane trash under any circumstances, so that beneficial insects present in it can be preserved.
For chemical control of harmful pests in sugarcane crops, farmers should spray suitable pesticides on the advice of local agricultural experts from the Agriculture department’s Extension and Pest Warning wing.