Sugarcane: Diseases Due to Pests, Pest Management Strategies and Factors Influencing the Production of Sugarcane

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum, L.) is the second major crop of Pakistan. It is not merely a significant sugar crop but also a resource of inclement notes for different agro-based industries in Pakistan. Sugarcane yields have been rigorously abridged in various parts of Asia as attacked by enormous number of insect pests and diseases. Changes in cropping patterns including the cultivation of high yielding varieties and hybrids have added to the problem in some areas. Plant breeding has been successful to some extent in keeping up with new and evolving diseases and pests. Innovation in agronomic practices, advent of chemicals for control, and more recently genetic engineering tools have been providing new opportunities for reduction of crop losses due to biotic pressures. Insect control is even more important as many viral diseases are transmitted by insects