Assessment Of Comparative Incidence Of Sugarcane Stem And Root Borers Infestation In Some Sugarcane Clones In Central Punjab

Abstract

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), is an important cash crop of Pakistan. The damage caused by the insect pests especially the sugarcane borers is one of the major causes responsible for low cane and sugar yield in Pakistan. In this study, one hundred (100) sugarcane clones including three (03) registered varieties as local controls were tested to assess the comparative incidence of infestation of Early shoot, Stem and Root borers in order to find out the resistant/tolerant genetic sugarcane lines, during a period from 2018 to 2023 at Sugarcane Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Out of the tested material, fifty three (53) were found resistant, twenty-six (26) moderately resistant, nine (09) moderately susceptible, five (05) susceptible, and seven (07) highly susceptible clones on a percent dead heart basis, at the tillering stage of the crop, where a range of infestation was found to be from 1.58%( SLF-17-281) to 19.53% ( S2014-SL-2477) as compared to the local check varieties CPF 253, HSF 240 CPF 249 where the infestation was 5.660%, 5.287% and 11.284%, respectively. On a percent cumulative internode damage basis, forty-eight (48) genotypes were found resistant, twenty-four (24) moderately resistant, sixsteen (16) moderately susceptible, six (06) susceptible and six (06) highly susceptible ones  with a  range of infestation from 0.524% ( S2016-SL-143) to 16.238% ( S-2015-SL-158) as compared to the local check varieties CPF 253, HSF 240 CPF 249 where it was recorded as 7.546%, 3.336% and 5.157% respectively. From the present study, it was determined that many advanced lines performed better for resistance/tolerance to borer pests than the local check varieties under a given set of conditions. Thus, the resistant genotypes identified can be further used in breeding programmes to genetically enhance resistance in sugarcane cultivars against serious pests.