Environmental Entomology (1993) 22, 1278-1284

P.G. Allsopp, G.T. Sullivan, M.B.C. Haysom and T.A. Morgan (1993)
Relationship of edaphic factors, location, and harvest date to population levels of Saccharicoccus sacchari (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) on sugarcane
Environmental Entomology 22 (6), 1278-1284
Abstract: Correlations between population levels of pink sugarcane mealybug, Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell), on sugarcane and the chemical status and texture of soils, location of sites, and date of previous harvest were examined in southern Queensland. In 1989, calcium, copper, exchangeable aluminum, iron, magnesium, manganese, sodium, total nitrogen, zinc, and pH were correlated with numbers of S. sacchari. In 1990, none of the chemical factors was simply correlated with numbers of S. sacchari, although a quadratic regression of zinc levels accounted for 31% of the variation in numbers of S. sacchari. The data suggest that numbers of S. sacchari are lower in fields with either low or high zinc levels. Soil texture components (clay, sand, silt) were not simply correlated with numbers of S. sacchari in either year. There was a significant quadratic regression with sand content in 1989, indicating higher numbers of S. sacchari with soils containing 70% sand. Distance of sites from the coast and date of previous harvest were not correlated with numbers of S. sacchari.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
population dynamics/ epidemiology
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Saccharicoccus sacchari	Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)	Australia (NT+QLD)