Effect of Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell) infestation levels on sugarcane physical and chemical properties

The present investigation was carried out in Sohage Governorate, Egypt on sugarcane infested with Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) during growing year 2007/2008. Obtained results indicated that only sever infestation significantly affected sugarcane physical and chemical properties. There were reduction of stalk's weight (5.03, 34.33%), stalk's height (2.16, 6.93%), stalk internodes' number per stalk (8.8, 29.07) and juice weight (2.26, 31.62%) in low and heavy Infestation, respectively compared with infestation free. Internodes height increased by 8.59 and 35.45% due to low and sever levels of infestation, respectively. There were losses of brix (4.95, 13.47%), sucrose (6.29, 27.87%), purity (1.41, 16.87%), pol (5.29, 32.6%) and sugar recovery (5.29, 37.08%) and increase of reducing sugar (3.53, 7.68%) and fiber (1.28, 3.85%) due low and heavy levels of infestation, respectively.