The Hawaiian-Philippine Ltd. in Silay City, Negros Occidental, one of the country’s pioneering sugar mills led by Chairman Paul Andrew Curran, has intensified efforts to combat the red striped soft scale insect (RSSI), a growing threat to sugarcane planters in Negros.
Beginning in early June, the company has been working on a specific organic solution concentrations suited to varying infestation levels, with the aid of agricultural experts from Israel who visited the island on Aug. 10 to 16.
Based on the set protocol assessments conducted by the HPCo technical team under the guidance of agricultural experts from Israel (Agr. Yael Skutelsky and Agr. Nina Lehmann), the knowledge they imparted in biological pest management helped refine treatment procedures and ensured accuracy and effectiveness.
The RSSI primarily targets sugarcane along field perimeters, usually within five meters of the roadside or edges.
Infestations lead to yellowing leaves, stunted cane height, and shortened jutes.
The insect’s life cycle starts with instar nymph infections occurring as early as two to three months after cane growth begins, with young and adult scales becoming more noticeable from the fourth to the tenth month.
The protocol was first applied in HPCo’s own sugarcane fields, before being extended to nearby planters’ farms.
The procedure involves a cycle of assessment, spraying, and monitoring designed to gradually reduce RSSI while supporting beneficial insect populations.
The protocol starts with an assessment of infestation levels, followed by the first spraying of organic solution based on severity.
A second assessment and spraying are then conducted to monitor and reinforce results.
Finally, a third round of assessment to ensure RSSI is reduced to a level where beneficial insects can naturally keep the pest under control.
HPCo will concentrate on distributing the organic solution to the affected farms. Meanwhile, planters, through their respective associations, will assess infestation levels and conduct the actual spraying and de-trashing activities in their fields, all while strictly adhering to the protocols established by HPCo.
The organic solution, tested by HPCo’s research and development team, disrupts pest growth and suppresses reproduction without harming beneficial insects. This approach aims to lower the RSSI population to a level that allows natural predators, such as ladybugs and spiders, lacewings and others to thrive and provide biological control.
“The use of organic solution in sugarcane due to RSSI infestation will not kill the beneficial insects present. The organic solution will focus on pest growth disruption and reproduction suppression. Our main goal is to lower the ratio of RSSI to a certain threshold so that beneficial insects can naturally manage them,” HPCo representative Noning Suating said.
Suating added: “This is the most affordable option over the use of commercial pesticide which eradicates beneficial insects in the area. Our protocol is available for everyone in our mill district who is affected.”
To support farmers, HPCo has committed to providing the initial dose of organic solution free of charge to sugarcane farms affected within its mill district and to its planter-members, particularly those in E.B. Magalona and Silay City.
This initiative is being implemented in collaboration with local government units and planters’ associations to effectively manage future infestations. ||
