Ihara warns about combating soil pests in sugarcane fields during the rainy season

The last months of the year open the rainy season for crops in much of the country. The rainy season brings immense benefits to agricultural crops, but also some disadvantages, such as an increase in the incidence and attack of different types of fungi and insects.

In sugarcane cultivation, the first rains, responsible for the sprouting of new canes, are accompanied by concerns about soil pests, one of the main problems faced by producers during this period. With perfect temperature and humidity, they find in the younger canes favorable ground for rapid population and attack on the plant's noble root system, generating significant losses in the sugarcane field.

To control pests that become resistant to the active ingredients most used by producers, pesticide manufacturers are constantly investing in new solutions. IHARA, one of the main Brazilian companies in the sector, invests more than 20 million annually in research and development of new products and modern solutions, with high standards of technology and efficiency for assertive phytosanitary protection for the most diverse crops.

“In general, sugarcane requires low allocation of agricultural pesticides. But soil pests are still really serious problems in this crop and, if they are not managed correctly, they can cause immense damage to the harvest”, warns IHARA's Regional Marketing Manager, Thiago Duarte. He explains that soil pests attack, above all, the deepest roots and stem bases (structures responsible for ensuring the sprouting and productivity of ratoons) and can reduce the crop's productive capacity by up to 25 tons per hectare. A 33% decrease in potential, according to the Brazilian average, which is 74,7 tons per hectare.

“In addition to the impact on productivity and sugarcane quality, these pests threaten the longevity of the sugarcane field, which may need to be completely redone to control the infestation. In all these scenarios, the lack of efficient management will certainly have an important impact in terms of crop profitability”, adds Duarte.

Leafhopper and Cane Weevil

One of the soil pests that haunt sugarcane fields is the root hopper (Mahanarva spp). By attacking the plant's root system, it can reduce the sugar cane sugar content (ATR) by up to 30%, and the average productivity per hectare by between 10% and 80%. In many cases, the damage can be irreversible.

To combat this pest, IHARA developed MAXSAN, an exclusive and unprecedented technology in Brazil, capable of controlling all life stages of this pest, including eggs, with proven effectiveness in terms of shock and unique residual effects. “It has systemic action, protecting plants inside and out, and translaminar action, being quickly absorbed and distributed. It acts against pests both through ingestion and through contact with the leaves. A highly systemic, high-performance insecticide, with high control power, as well as cutting-edge shock and residual”, explains Thiago Duarte.

Another important pest is controlled with maximum efficiency by the company's innovative solution, ZEUS. With a proven broad spectrum, the product gained even more market notoriety for its incomparable action in combating Sphenophorus levis, or sugarcane weevil. This soil pest that is difficult to control, rapidly multiplying and has a high incidence in practically all sugarcane growing regions of the country, the boll weevil attacks the plant from its roots, while its larvae create galleries in the stalk region, generating an average of four to five generations per year. Losses due to this pest can reach up to 25 tons per hectare/year and may require early crop reform.

ZEUS brings an unprecedented systemic technology that protects the entire root system of the plant, and can promote up to two more cuts of the ratoon. Thus, in addition to increasing productivity through effective pest control, it also guarantees greater longevity of the sugarcane field.

“Controlling pests efficiently has been one of the biggest challenges facing farmers over time. IHARA is a reference in the research and development of modern solutions, which in fact represent continuous advances in the protection of crops, with increasing sustainability, raising the levels of productivity and profitability of national agriculture”, adds the IHARA manager.