Use of suSCon blue against larvae of Lepidiota picticollis Lea (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Australian sugar-cane and the effect of infestations on yield

Abstract SuSCon Blue (14% chlorpyrifos, controlled-release granules) at 21 kg ha −1 provides control of larvae of the sugar-cane whitegrub Lepidiota picticollis Lea for 2 years. Control of larvae was reflected in higher stalk numbers, stalk weights, and cane and sugar yield. Yield losses caused by L. picticollis larvae to first- and second-ratoon crops of commercial sugar-cane planted with cultivars Q111 and Q141 were also quantified. There were significant negative correlations between larval numbers in a crop and the yield components of that crop. There were also significant carry-over effects where larval populations in one crop could influence yield of the succeeding ratoon.