J Beuzelin1, C Easdale2, C Camargo3, K Powell4 and N Behary Paray5
1University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Belle Glade, Florida, USA;
2Ledesma Sugar Mill, Jujuy, Argentina
3Centro de Investigación de la Caña de Azúcar (Cenicaña), Valle del Cauca, Colombia
4Sugar Research Australia Limited, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
5 Mauritius Sugarcane Industry Research Institute, Réduit, Mauritius
The ISSCT Entomology Workshop was held in Salta, Argentina from 25 to 27 November 2024 in conjunction with the Plant Pathology Workshop. The three-day joint workshop was followed by a two-day field trip to Río Grande, Ledesma, and Seaboard sugar mill areas, and research facilities of INTA Yuto in Jujuy and Chacra in Salta. The theme of the joint workshop was Dealing with sugarcane pests and diseases in the context of regenerative agriculture, and there were 77 attendees from 12 countries: Argentina (35), Australia (2), Brazil (17), Colombia (1), Cote D’Ivoire (2), Cuba (2), France (4), Papua New Guinea (1), Réunion Island (1), South Africa (3), USA (8), and Zimbabwe (1). The Entomology Workshop consisted of 15 oral and 5 poster presentations. Most of the presentations addressed the biology and management of Diatraea spp. stemborers in the Western Hemisphere. The use of conservation and augmentation biological control, production practices such as fertilization, insecticides, biostimulants, and Bt transgenic technologies was discussed. Other insects covered during workshop presentations were the eldana borer, lesser cornstalk borer, wireworms, and spittle bugs. Additional topics included yellow canopy syndrome in Australia, as well as habitat management, the sterile insect technique, and the use of eDNA for pest identification.