D3305: Economic impact of the spittlebug Aeneolamia varia in sugarcane in Colombia

In recent years, Aeneolamia varia (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) has become the second most important pest in sugarcane cultivation in the Cauca River Valley (CRV) region in Colombia. During 2022, the presence of the insect expanded from the first reports in north part of the CRV to the south part of the region. Due to the importance that this pest has gained in the sugarcane sector, it has been necessary to establish strategies that allow the management of this pest in a preventive way, avoiding that the population levels exceed the economic thresholds. However, at this time no economic damage threshold has been established for the spittlebug A varia in one of the main varieties of sugarcane that we grow in Colombia, CC 01-1940. We evaluated the damage caused by the spittlebug’s nymphs and adults in 3 main parameters of sugarcane: stalk number, length and diameter during four times in the crop cycle. We found an average reduction of 22% of stalk length in levels with high insect population pressures (more than 15 individuals). No significant impacts were found in stalk number and diameter. Further, we evaluated the impact of this pest in crop production and poll percentage. Economic analysis measuring impact of this pest in crop weigh and saccharose production will be discussed.