Nineteen species of scarab larvae, collectively known as canegrubs, attack the root system of sugarcane in Australia. Thousands of hectares of sugarcane were damaged before the introduction of organochlorine insecticides in 1948. A controlled-release formulation of chlorpyrifos (suSCon Blue) and a non-residual formulation of ethoprophos (Mocap) replaced the organochlorines in the 1980s. Recent failures of both these products in some fields have intensified the search for alternative controls. This review covers the current knowledge of canegrub biology, ecology and control in Australia. An outline of research required to develop sustainable pest management for canegrubs is given. Knowledge of the population dynamics of canegrubs will be integrated with cultural, chemical and biological controls as appropriate for each pest in each region. A decision-support system will help pest managers to make appropriate choices.
Decision support systems have been developed for risk analysis and management of root-feeding white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) in Queensland, Australia, sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), based partly on manual inspection of soil samples. Acoustic technology was considered as a potential alternative to this laborious procedure. Field surveys were conducted to detect the major pests Dermolepida albohirtum (Waterhouse) near Mackay, and Antitrogus parvulus Britton near Bundaberg. Computer analyses were developed to identify distinctive scrapes and other sounds produced by D. albohirtum and Antitrogus species and to distinguish them from sounds of nondamaging white grubs (Rutelinae, Dynastinae), as well as from extraneous, wind-induced tapping signals. Procedures were considered for incorporating acoustic methods into surveys and sequential sampling plans. Digging up and inspecting sugarcane root systems requires 10-12 min per sample, but acoustic assessments can be obtained in 3-5 min, so labor and time could be reduced by beginning the surveys with acoustic sampling. In a typical survey conducted in a field with low population densities, sampling might terminate quickly after five negative acoustic samples, establishing a desired precision level of 0.25 but avoiding the effort of excavating and inspecting empty samples. With a high population density, sampling might terminate also if signals were detected in five samples, in which case it would be beneficial to excavate the samples and count the white grubs. In intermediate populations, it might be necessary to collect up to 20 samples to achieve desired precision, and acoustic methods could help determine which samples would be best to excavate.
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