Abstract
Research on stem borer pests of sugarcane, maize and rice in Ghana is briefly reviewed. The work on the biology of the borers carried out at Asutsuare between October 1977 and January 1980 has pinpointed the fact that the practice of ratooning is the principal cause of a devastating build up of stem borers in the sugarcane fields. Cost/benefit analysis has revealed that as a result of discontinuation of this practice, there would be an initial gain of $13.4/ha. The profit should increase in subsequent years when the foci of borer infestations are removed as a result of the discontinuation of ratooning. The use of imported parasites as well as insecticide treatment in controlling the borer populations has been ineffective. Further work in developing novel control measures against sugarcane borers is still in progress. Only cultural methods have been found useful in limiting the damage caused by stem borers to maize. Losses caused by stem borers to the rice crop in Ghana are still not well established.
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Kumar, R., Sampson, M. Review of Stem Borer Research in Ghana. Int J Trop Insect Sci 3, 85–88 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400005701
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400005701