AR Salvatore1, PG Páez Jerez1,2, G Nadra1,MG Isas3 and L Krapovickas1
1Facultad de Agronomía Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina; analiasalvatore@hotmail.com
2Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Tucumán, Argentina
3Bulacio Argenti SA, Tucumán, Argentina
Sugarcane is one of the main crops in Tucumán, Argentina, with significant growth in recent years, largely driven by the demand for bioethanol. However, this expansion has been accompanied by an increase in pests such as the stemborer Diatraea saccharalis. This study evaluated the effect of different nitrogen fertilization treatments and irrigation practices using citrus industry residues (CIR) and filter cake on the infestation and oviposition of D. saccharalis in sugarcane. Field and semi-field trials were conducted to assess the impact of urea and calcium-ammonium nitrate (CAN) fertilization and of irrigation with CIR, fertilizer with filter cake, and water on infestation levels and oviposition preference of the pest. The results indicated that urea fertilization significantly increased infestation levels compared to the control, while no significant differences were found with the CAN treatment. Irrigation with CIR and filter cake resulted in higher infestation levels and oviposition compared to water irrigation. These findings suggest that organic fertilizers and nitrogen treatments may enhance the nutritional quality of sugarcane plants, making them more susceptible to D. saccharalis infestations. This study underscores the importance of integrated pest management strategies that consider the role of agricultural practices in pest dynamics.