F-R Goebel1, B Yana Yana2, U Ntab2, P Martin1and MT Sall2
1CIRAD, Unité de Recherche AÏDA, Montpellier, France; regis.goebel@cirad.fr
2CSS, Richard Toll, Senegal
Eldana saccharina, the African stalk borer, attacks sugarcane in most African countries with a major impact on cane and sugar yields. The sugarcane company Compagnie Sucrière Sénégalaise (CSS) established in the Senegal River Valley has been combatting this borer by revising agricultural practices and deploying a grid of solar-powered light traps through its estate totalling more than 10,000 ha. The objective of this paper is to present the key integrated pest management (IPM) tactics to reduce borer infestation through (i) varietal resistance, (ii) reduction in nitrogen fertilizer field rates, (iii) improvement of water management for drip irrigation to reduce plant stress, and (iv) establishment of more than 100 light traps using solar panels to monitor E. saccharina adult populations and decrease infestations in sugarcane fields. In addition, other agroecological measures were identified to be urgently implemented such as the reduction of cane burning for harvest in fields bordering natural vegetation. This action will allow the restoration and conservation of natural enemies of the borer, namely predators and parasitoids, in a Sahelian climatic environment. Finally, an integrated toolbox to control E. saccharina is proposed to avoid significant economic losses in sugarcane production in Senegal.