Management of canegrubs: future directions

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. Current control relies on a controlled-release formulation of chlorpyrifos (suSCon Blue) and non-residual formulations of ethoprophos (Mocap) and cadusafos (Rugby). Recent failures of both suS Con and Mocap in some fields have intensified. the search for alternative controls. Management options to minimise the impact of canegrubs must move from a reliance on synthetic insecticides to a system integrating a range of cultural, biological and insecticidal controls. This change is underpinned by a wide range of research projects aimed at improving the efficiency of current control strategies, devising substitute controls, and changing the sugarcane system to minimise the impact of the pests. A summary of these projects is presented, giving the current status and future directions, and how they relate to improving and integrating canegrub control strategies.