Protecting the South African sugar industry against the spotted stem borer Chilo sacchariphagus bojer (Lipidoptera : Crambidae) : a regional approach for IPM strategy

The spotted stemborer, Chilo sacchariphagus Bojer, is a key pest of sugarcane in South East Asia and in the Indian Ocean islands (Réunion, Madagascar, and Mauritius) and more recently in southern Africa in Mozambique. Because of its common border with this last country, South Africa is exposed to the threat of invasion of this borer. In 2000, South African Sugar Association Experiment Station (SASEX) in collaboration with the Centre de coopération International en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), established a monitoring programme with the following complementary approaches: (1) detection of adults with pheromone traps placed along the South African border; (2) surveys on sugar estates in Mozambique; (3) circulation of updated information; and (4) training of extension officers and field teams. An integrated pest management strategy was also adopted in Mozambique against C. sacchariphagus. Biological control with field release of parasitoids is being tested on two sugar estates. The overall strategy has benefited from the expertise of CIRAD that worked extensively on this pest in Réunion. This IPM approach is discussed, focusing on the latest results, and on experience obtained in these countries. (Authors' abstract