Sugarcane Aphid: a New Invasive Pest of Sorghum in Georgia
G. D. BuntinDepartment of Entomology,
University of Georgia, Griffin Campus
Sugarcane Aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, infestations on grain sorghum in Georgia 2014, Top: Marion County, Center: Tifton GA, Bottom Randolph County, GA.
Leaves with honeydew and sooty mold
Original discovery near Beaumont, TX
Appling
Atkinson
Bacon
Baker
Baldwin
Banks
Barrow
Bartow
Ben Hill
Berrien
Bibb
Bleckley
Brantley
Brooks
Bryan
Bulloch
BurkeButts
Calhoun
Camden
Candler
Carroll
Catoosa
Charlton
ChathamChattahoochee
Chattooga
Cherokee
Clarke
Clay
Clayton
Clinch
Cobb
Coffee
Colquitt
Columbia
Cook
Coweta
Crawford
Crisp
Dade
Decatur
Dekalb
DodgeDooly
Dougherty
Douglas
Early
Echols
Effingham
Elbert
Emanuel
Evans
Fannin
FloydForsyth
Franklin
Fulton
Gilmer
Glascock
Glynn
Gordon
Grady
Greene
Gwinnett
Habersham
Hall
Hancock
Haralson
Harris
Hart
Heard
Henry
Houston
Irwin
Jackson
Jasper
Jefferson
Jenkins
Johnson
JonesLamar
Lanier
Laurens
Lee
Liberty
Lincoln
Long
Lowndes
Lumpkin
McDuffie
McIntosh
Macon
Madison
Marion
Meri-wether
Miller Mitchell
Monroe
Montgomery
Morgan
Murray
Muscogee
Newton
OglethorpePaulding
Peach
Pickens
Pierce
Pike
Polk
Pulaski
Putnam
Quitman
Rabun
Randolph
Richmond
Schley
Screven
Seminole
Spalding
Stewart
Talbot
Taliaferro
Tattnall
Taylor
Telfair
Terrell
Thomas
Tift
Towns
Treutlen
Troup
Turner
Twiggs
Union
Upson
Walker
Walton
Ware
Warren
Washington
Wayne
Webster
Wheeler
WhiteWhitfield
Wilcox
Wilkes
Wilkinson
Worth
Dawson
Fayette
JeffDavis
Oconee
Rockdale
Stephens
Sumter
Toombs
Georgia Counties with Sugarcane Aphid
Infested (Agent confirmed)
1‐Nov. 2014
No Sorghum or cannot confirm infestations.
Aphids on Sorghum
Corn leaf aphid yellow sugarcane aphid
Photos: Pat Porter, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension
Greenbug sugarcane aphid
SCA Biology• Pest in China, Japan, India, Southern Africa,
South America, Mexico• Infest sugarcane Hawaii: late 1800s, 1977 in FL;
1999 in LA. • 2013 host shift to Sorghum east TX.• Sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari =
Sorghum aphid, M. sorghi (Nibouche et al. 2014 PlosOne e106067)
• Host: Sorghum spp., grain, forage, sweet sorghum, Johnsongrass
• Poor / Non‐hosts: Corn, millet, wheat, barley, rye, sugarcane, energycane. (Armstrong et al. 2015. JEE ).
• Anholocyclic in US.; • Does not overwinter in freezing areas. • Very high reproductive rate.• Sampling?
G. Odvody/M. Brewer, AgriLife Research
Injury to Sorghum• Feed mostly on underside of leaves and
stems.• Phloem feeder but reported to feed in
xylem some places.• General desiccation of plant tissue.• If a toxin is involved, but not acute.• Associated reddening, purpling and
necrosis of plant tissue.• Kill / stunt seedlings.• Feeding at boot stage may prevent heading
or cause sterile grain heads.• Grain Yield losses: 20‐80%, sometimes
complete loss; 20% med dough stage• Honeydew and sooty mold,• Interfere with harvest aids.
Courtesy of D. Kerns, LSU AgCenter, R. Villanueva, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Winnsboro, LA 2014
Action threshold
UTC 50 100 250 500
Yiel
d (b
u/ac
re)
0
20
40
60
80
100Resistant Susceptible
a a
a
a
a
neve
r tre
ated
neve
r tre
ated
neve
r tre
ated
2X 2X1X
2X 1X
1X1X
AAB
ABC BCC
SCA yield loss and Economic Thresholds (M. Brewer, Texas AgLife and D. Kerns, LSU)
Loss per 100 aphids/leaf: TX: 2.54 bu/ac; LA: 4.11 bu/ac; Ave: 3.325 bu/ac
Estimated Thresholds: TX, LA, AR: 50 – 125 aphids per leaf.MS: up to boot: 20% infested plants & local heavy honeydew;
Bloom to dough: 30% infested plants & honeydew.
Plant Resistance / Tolerance?
Natural Enemies: predatory lady beetles and syphid flies and 1 parasitoid
Honeydew attracts bees, wasps, and flies
Aphelinus sp.Parasitoid
Syrphus sp. hover fly
Photos, J. P. Michaud, TX A&M
Impact on Forage Sorghum?
Sugarcane Aphid infestations on grain sorghum on equipment, slow delay harvest. Left: Silage chopper, East Texas; Right: Aphids and sticky leaves clogging combine
Courtesy of D. Kerns, LSU AgCenter, R. Villanueva, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Aphi
ds p
er p
lant
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Aphi
ds p
er le
af
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
19 DAP 26 DAP 33 DAP 40 DAP
Gauch
o 6.4 m
g-aiPonch
o 6.4 m
g-aiNipsit
6.4 m
g-aiCruise
r 7.6
mg-aiUntre
ated
Gaucho 6.
4 mg-ai
Poncho 6.
4 mg-ai
Nipsit 6.
4 mg-ai
Cruiser 7
.6 mg-ai
Untreate
d
Primarily alates
Impact of seed treatments on SCA population development. Source: David Kerns, Louisiana State University AgCenter,
2014.
Poncho 600 and Cruiser 5FS seed treatments have 2(ee) supplemental labels for SCA on sorghum.
Insecticide Control of Sugarcane Aphid Control on Grain Sorghum, Marion County, GA 2014
0102030405060708090
100
Percen
t Con
trol
2‐day7‐day14‐day
§ § §
§ = 0% control or negative
Insecticide Control of Sugarcane Aphid Control on Grain Sorghum, EXPO‐Moultrie, GA 2014
Treatments applied Sept. 5, 2014
0102030405060708090
100
Percen
t Con
trol
7‐day
‐91%§
§ = 0% control or negative
Insecticide Control of Sugarcane Aphid Control on Grain Sorghum, Henry County, GA 2014,
Treatments applied September 25, 2014
0102030405060708090
100
TransformWG @ 1.5 fl.
oz.
Sivanto @ 3fl. oz.
Sivanto @ 5fl. oz.
Lorsban 4E@ 1 pt
Ecozin @ 30fl. oz.
Percen
t Con
trol 2‐day
7‐day
§
§ = 0% control or negative
Sugarcane aphid Insecticides for sorghum in 2015
• Neonic seed treatments, Cruiser 5FS, Poncho 600.• Transform WG (sulfoxaflor); Section 18.
– Rate: 0.75 – 1.5 oz, – Max per crop: 3.0 oz per acre and 2 applications per crop.– Application volume: full coverage by ground; 5 GPA by air.– PHI: 14 days for grain; 7 days for grazing, forage, and hay.– Re‐entry: 24 hours
• Sivanto 200SL (flupyradifurone); Full federal label.– Rate: 4 – 7 oz per acre (2ee supplemental label), – Max per crop: 28 fl. oz per acre.– Application volume: 10 GPA by ground; 2 GPA by air.– PHI: 21 days for grain; 7 days for grazing, forage, and hay.– Re‐entry: 4 hours.
• Chlorpyrifos @ 2 pts before heading; PHI: 60 days @ 2 pts. DO NOT use on sweet sorghum.
• Chlorpyrifos + Dimethoate @ 1 pt each per acre before heading; PHI: 30 & 28 days.
• Dimethoate alone?; Adjuvants?
Sugarcane aphid management guidelines for sorghum in 2015
• Plant early.• Few tolerant hybrids? • Neonic seed treatment.• Scout early and often.• Treat at aphid threshold. • Natural enemies not timely in control.• Avoid pyrethroid insecticides for other pests.
– Sorghum midge: Chlorpyrifos, Lannate– Fall armyworm in whorl: Belt; Prevathon, Lannate– Headworms & stink bugs on heads
• Check fields 2‐3 weeks before harvest for infestation
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