The Cane Weevil Borer (CWB) is a pest that threatens sugarcane in Fiji’s sugarcane belt areas. The larvae of the CWB consume the interior of the sugarcane stalk, which contains the juice essential for sugar extraction. Geetha Nandagopal, who heads the crop protection department at the Sugar Research Institute of Fiji (SRIF), noted that no variety of sugarcane is immune to this pest.
Nandagopal, also the head of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme’s Crop Protection department, expressed concern that CWB infestations make sugarcane more susceptible to wilting, particularly during dry spells, ultimately leading to death of the plants.
She highlighted the significant threats CWB poses to sugarcane growers, as the damage worsens in lodged canes, which lose structural strength and can break in strong winds. The impact of CWB extends beyond physical damage, with studies indicating potential yield reductions of around 10 percent and a decline in quality by about two percent.
The troubling reality that no sugarcane variety shows immunity to CWB forces growers to constantly update their management practices to counter the pest’s impact. Nandagopal also pointed out that wilt related to CWB is particularly pronounced during drought conditions.