Location: Sugarcane Research
Project Number: 6052-30500-001-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Feb 19, 2025
End Date: Feb 18, 2030
Objective:
1: Optimize crop inputs (nutrients, stabilizers, and plant growth regulators) to improve billet-planted sugarcane success and regrowth of post-harvest ratoon cane to increase ratoon longevity and sustainability. (NP 305, C1, PS1A)
1.A. Maximize sugarcane yields and ratoon longevity by optimizing at-planting fertilizer and plant growth regulator application.
1.B. Increase ratoon longevity through application of post-harvest and early spring application of fertilizers and growth regulators.
2: Minimize insect damage by assessing the impact of varietal resistance traits interacting with biological control across ratoons and the impact of seed treatments used in billet planting on biological control and beneficial arthropods. (NP 305, C1, PS1A; NP 304, C3, PS3C)
2.A. Determine how changes in plant traits associated with pest resistance and natural enemy abundance across ratoons alter integrated pest management potential of the sugarcane borer.
2.B. Assess the impact of insecticide seed treatments on natural enemies providing biological control of SCB.
3: Understand molecular basis, weedy traits, distribution, and movement of populations of itchgrass in Louisiana sugarcane and their response to herbicide treatment.
3.A: Develop microsatellite markers to distinguish itchgrass populations and determine their distribution over time and space within the Louisiana sugarcane production region.
3.B: Determine the response of itchgrass populations to herbicide treatment and characterize weedy traits of these populations.
Approach:
To address the first objective, at-planting fertilizer and plant growth regulator application will be optimized to improve cane and sugar yields in billet planted sugarcane. In addition, the application of post-harvest and early spring fertilizers and growth regulators to older ratoon crops will be optimized to extend the number of ratoons harvested from billet planted fields. Sugarcane yields in the successive ratoon crops of the billet planted systems and older ratoons crops will be used as an index of the progress made in increasing ratoon longevity as compared to conventional management methods. Imagery acquired by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will be utilized to document the effects of all treatments on the crop throughout the crop cycle.
To address the second objective, methods will be developed to assist in preventing and managing infestations of the primary economic insect pest of sugarcane in Louisiana, the sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis (F.); Lepidoptera: Crambidae). We will evaluate how ratoon longevity interacts with sugarcane borer resistance traits that are differentially expressed by commercial cultivars as well as biological control to influence the risk of insect pest damage. We will also assess the compatibly of billet seed treatments with biological control of the sugarcane borer by estimating the arthropod community activity density changes as well as sub-lethal effects on red imported fire ant foraging behaviors after treatment with new insecticide active ingredients.
The third objective seeks to identify distinct populations of itchgrass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis) using molecular markers and then to examine weedy characteristics and herbicide response of these distinct populations. The itchgrass genome will be sequenced to identify candidate molecular markers. At the same time, itchgrass collections will be made annually throughout the sugarcane production region. These collections will determine how these populations are distributed over time and space, which may aid in mitigation efforts. Additionally, assessing herbicide response will identify herbicide resistant populations if any are present in the region. Collectively these data will lead to better management recommendations for growers.