Sugar cane is the world's largest crop by production quantity, totalling 1.9 billion tonnes in 2020, with Brazil accounting for 40% of the world total. About 80% of the world's sugar is produced from cane grown in tropical and subtropical climates. The remaining 20% comes from sugar beets grown mostly in the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere.

In the 2022/2023 crop year, global sugar production is expected to be 182 million metric tons, up 1.7 million tons from the previous year.

This crop is of major importance as a cash crop for families and smallholders in developing countries. Sugar crops offer alternatives to food, i.e. livestock feed, and also fibre, energy, biofuels (sugar-based ethanol) and co-generation of electricity (cane bagasse). Sugarcane is regarded as one of the most significant and efficient sources of biomass for biofuel production.

According to an approximation, sugar cane production deteriorations by 20-25% by insect pests. Sugar cane is infested by more than 200 insects of which nearly one dozen cause heavy losses to the quality as well as quantity of the crop. The most economically important pests of sugar cane can be listed as Root Borer (Emmalocera depressella), Early Shoot Borer (Chilo infescatellus), Top Shoot Borer (Scirpophaga excerptalis), Purple Stem Borer (Sesamia inferens), Corn Stem Borer (Sesamia cretica) and the Mediterranean Corn Borer (Sesamia nonagrioides).

The number of insect pests attacking this crop and causing damage and yield loss, clearly indicates the importance of accurate monitoring of the insect pests as the main part of the integrated pest management strategy. This will help the farmers to choose and utilise the most appropriate control strategy based on the targeted pest species and avoid using a large quamtity of hazardous pesticides that could impact the environment and cause health issues to the crops, animals and humans.

Sugar cane is one of the most strategic crops in the Middle East and over the last few years, few years. Increasingly farmers are showing a keen interest in adopting IPM strategies and monitoring for pest species. IPM strategies and monitoring pest species.

In 2022, International Pheromone Systems, was asked by a major sugar cane growing organizations in Iran to help monitor and identify the major and most destructive pests in their sugar cane fields in Khuzestan province following a few unsuccessful trials they had in the past with pheromone lures they sourced from the other manufacturers in the market.

Trials were conducted in different locations, using 3 different pheromone formulations that were used in locally sourced small UniTraps.

Mr. Amir Chiraghi, Plant Protection Expert of Amirkabir Sugarcane Agro-industry Company, headed the trials and stated: ‘’This is the very first time I can clearly see the difference between the catch rate of different pheromone formulations, and we can confidently name the major pest species in our fields. This is a great achievement and will help us to make a plan of action, based on these results. It clearly shows the importance monitoring using the high quality pheromone lures. The support we had from International Pheromone System to do this trial was absolutely stunning and  we are planning to use their products all over our fields in Iran in a very near future.’’

The trials determined the Durra Stem Borer (Sesamia cretica) to be the main pest in these fields (Tabel and Graph 1) which is a serious pest of maize, sorghum and sugarcane in Africa and Asia. The yield losses caused by this pest can reach 50% and Sesamia cretica is listed as an A1 quarantine pest for South-East Asia.

Date	Week	S. cretica	S. inferens	S. nonagrioides
10-Aug-22	1	2.25	1	0
17-Aug-22	2	6.25	0	0.5
24-Aug-22	3	3.25	0.25	1
31-Aug-22	4	1.75	1	0.5
07-Sep-22	5	1.5	1.5	0.25
14-Sep-22	6	10.5	1	0
21-Sep-22	7	15.75	1.25	0.75
28-Sep-22	8	19.75	0.75	0.5
05-Oct-22	9	27	2.5	2.5
12-Oct-22	10	26.5	1.5	0.25

Tabel 1

Moth Catch Record – August – October 2022 – Field 01 – Average of 5 traps – Khuzestand - Iran

Graph 1

Moth Catch Record – August – October 2022 – Field 01 – Average of 5 traps – Khuzestand - Iran

S.nonagrioides and S.inferens were also trapped in these fields using the traps baited with the pheromone lures for these species made by IPS, however the number of the insects trapped remained below the economic relevant threshold. However, this indicated the importance of monitoring these two species over the next seasons to be able to take appropriate action as soon as the population exceeds the thresholds to prevent significant yield loss.

If you are interested in reading the complete trial report or would like to have a look at further graphs, please get in touch via the ‘’contact us’’ feature on our website. You can also enquire about the pheromones used in this trial or express interest in testing or purchasing our products.