By CESAR JOLITO III
The Philippine Sugar Research Institute Foundation, Inc. (Philsurin) has issued an urgent warning to farmers in the Negros Island Region (NIR) about the growing threat posed by the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI), a pest confirmed to be destructive to sugarcane.
In an advisory, Philsurin said sugarcane growers must intensify their monitoring efforts and conduct weekly field inspections, focusing particularly on the lower portions of the sugarcane where early signs of infestation are likely to appear.
Philsurin said RSSI begins infestation on the lower leaves and slowly advances upward.
A telltale sign of its presence is the sticky honeydew it secretes, which encourages the growth of black sooty mold.
Infested plants often appear dirty, with yellowing, drying and wilting leaves, especially near the base.
Farmers may also observe visible insects with distinctive red stripes in both nymph and adult stages.
If left undetected and unmanaged, the RSSI can spread rapidly from one field to another, causing severe crop damage and potential economic loss for farmers.
Philsurin advised planters to physically remove and burn infested leaves to prevent further spread of RSSI.
They should apply appropriate chemical treatments like carbofuran, phenthoate, dinotefuran, thiamethoxam, pymetrozine, and buprofezin, which have shown promise in reducing RSSI populations.
Farmers who suspect RSSI infestation in their fields are strongly encouraged to contact their local Philsurin representatives or the Department of Agriculture (DA) for immediate assistance, sample testing and technical support.
Philsurin is currently working with DA and other government bodies to study the potential use of biological control agents as a sustainable and long-term solution to the pest problem.
Originally detected in Pampanga in 2022, RSSI, scientifically known as Pulvinaria tenuivalvata, has now made its way into NIR, one of the country’s key sugar-producing regions, early this year.
‘Worrisome’
Meanwhile, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said the RSSI infestation has expanded further, now covering over a thousand hectares of sugarcane fields in NIR.
“From 87 hectares, it has expanded to over 1,505 hectares in less than a month. The bulk of which is in the heart of sugarlandia, Negros Occidental, where it has spread to 1,490 hectares,” SRA Administrator Pablo Azcona said in a statement yesterday.
“While this is still a fraction of sugarcane fields, the rapid spread is worrisome. I believe that the real data could even be bigger, as there are farms that have started their own remedy without reporting the matter to SRA,” Azcona said.
RSSI has infested sugarcane fields in 44 barangays across 17 local government units in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, the SRA report revealed.
A total of 744 sugar planters and sugar farmers in Negros Island were affected.
However, Azona said there are 97 hectares monitored to have been recovering from the infestation, stating it is “a good sign.”
Earlier, the SRA warned that if left unchecked, RSSI could reduce sugar yields by up to 50 percent, citing studies from the University of the Philippines.
The DA and SRA are also implementing quarantine protocols to prevent the movement of infected planting materials, aiming to contain the spread as farmers begin preparations for the next crop year./CJ, WDJ