Sugarcane is an important cash crop in the tropics and subtropics, but its production is threatened badly by lepidopteran borers, most notably the stem and top borer. Traditional use of broad spectrum insecticides has raised issues on environment pollution, health risks, and the development of resistance. This research was carried out to assess the usefulness of pheromone trapping along with biological control using Trichogramma chilonis in three different areas of Chiniot district, Punjab, Pakistan in the filed condition. To preserve the integrity of the experiment, randomized complete block design (RCBD) was applied with four treatments, which are pheromone traps, Trichogramma cards, agrochemical spray as well as untreated control. Monitoring once a week showed a high decrease in pest percentages all treatments except untreated control. The level of injuries to the plants linked to borers was lower in fields where bio control was used and significantly higher still in case of pesticide use, whose temporal effects proved to be temporary only, with the rise in the number of pests still evident. Entomological surveys done in non-target insects showed only slight collateral effect had occurred in bio control plots as compared to that in fields that were chemically treated. Yield data revealed that biological and pheromone strategy could sustain yield up to 28 to 29 ton/acre similar to chemical controls. In general, a combination of pheromone monitoring and releases of T. chilonis is an ecologically sustainable, Bonsucro-compliant solution to pest management that both minimizes the usage of hazardous chemicals and guaranties sustainable and environmentally safe sugarcane production.
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