Biocontrol materials produced by the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental (PGNO) have yielded positive results against the Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) in treated local sugarcane fields.
Field observations and initial laboratory testing confirmed the active presence and efficacy of the province-produced biological controls two months after the creation of the PGNO Task Force Kontra RSSI, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando P. Diaz II said in a Facebook post Saturday, Sept. 5.
Field samples collected from sugarcane farms in Caliban, Murcia, revealed RSSI cadavers infected by Entomopathogenic Fungi, featuring visible fungal spores growing on the dead insects, he said.
The field applications began August 14. Three weeks post-application, the beneficial fungi demonstrated active establishment within the field environment, impacting target RSSI populations, he said.
Preliminary field and laboratory findings support ongoing science-based measures to mitigate the pest’s spread and safeguard the province’s sugarcane sector, he said.
The provincial government led by Governor Bong Lacson continues to develop and distribute biocontrol materials and improve production capacity, Diaz said.*
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