Saccharum officinarum is one of the major industrial crops in India. Pests cause considerable loss in cane yield as well as sugar output. Among other pests that cause considerable yield loss, termites are important since they also affect germination. About a dozen species of termites occur in India on sugarcane. Among them Microtermes obesi Holmgren, Odontotermes obesus Rambur, O. assmuthi Holmgren, O. wallonensis (Wasmann) and Trinervitermes biformis (Wasmann) are major pests.

Damage

These termites damage setts, shoots, canes as well as stubbles. Termite infestation occurs soon after planting and continues till harvest.

A termite infested sugarcane plant at Palwal village (05-12-2016)

Management

Imidacloprid 70 WS and imidacloprid 200 SL can be used against termites in sugarcane as sett dip and spray over setts in furrows.

1. Sett dip of imidacloprid 70 WS at 0.1 to 0.2 per cent.
2. Spray over setts of imidacloprid 200 SL at 250 to 375 ml/ha.
3. Avoid ratooning otherwise take strict termite management practices.

These treatments protected the crop from termite damage and are equal to conventional termiticide chlorpyriphos 20 EC at 5 lit./ha in the efficacy. Other conventional insecticides suggested by some are - soil treatment with phorate 10G 2.5 kg ai/ha, chlorpyrifos 15G 2.5 kg ai/ha. But actually speaking they are termiticides.