Effect of some agricultural practices on the infestation with greater sugar cane borer, Sesamia cretica Led. in the spring plant cane and its 1st ratoon in upper Egypt [electronic resource].

Includes references.

The present work was carried out In Mattana Agricultural Research Station, Qena Governorate on sugar cane cultivar. Giza 99/103 during two successive seasons 2005 and 2006 to study the effect of some agricultural practices on the infestation with the greater sugar cane borer. Sesamia cretica Led. (Noctuidae : Lepidoptera) in spring plant cane and its 1st ratoon. The spring plant cane was planted in early March, 2005 at two row spaces (80 cm &100 cm) and three fertilizer treatments were tested In both spring plant cane and its 1st ratoon. The tested fertilizers were nitrogen fertilizer (urea 46% N) with two doses 230 kg /fed. & 310 kg /fed.; potassium fertiliZer (48% K2O) with 50kg/ fed. And without whereas microelements fertilizer (FZM) were applied with 400 gmlfed. (100 gm Fe+100 gm Zen +200 Mg) and without. RandomiZed Complete Block Design (RCBD) splited one time was used with three replicates and each replicate contain 16 plots (1/200 fed.). The Infestation Intensity was monitored after 45 days from planting date in spring plant cane and after the same period from harvesting date for the 1st ratoon by taking monthly samples started from mid-April until September in the both seasons. The obtained results showed that, the Infestation with S. cretica in both spring plant cane and Its 1st ratoon reduced In sugar'C8ne plants which cultivated at wide spaces (100 cm) than those cultivated at narrow spaces (80 cm). The infestation affected with the dose of nitrogen fertilizer, the high dose of nitrogen fertilizer (310 kg/fed.) increases the infestation more than the recommended dose (230 kg/fed.). Potassium fertilizer reduced the Infestation with S. cretica in sugar cane fields, because it strength the sugar cane stalks and become more tolerant for the Infestation compared with unfertilized plots. Also. adding microelements fertilizer (FZM) decreased the Infestation with S. cretica In suger cane fields. The combined effect of the tested agricultural practices showed that, the infestation reduced to minimum intensity In both spring plant cane and its 1st ratoon in sugar cane plants cultivated at wide spaces (100 cm) and fertilized with the recommended dose of urea fertilIZer (230 kg/fed.); adding both potassium sulphate fertilizer (50 kg/fed.) and microelements fertilizer (400 gm/fed.). So, it prefers to cultivate sugar cane plants at wide spaces and to use the recommended dose of urea fertilizer and both potassium sulphate and microelements fertilizers to reduce the infestation with S.cretica to its minimum intensity in sugar cane fields without any insecticide applications.

Summary in Arabic.

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