Sugarcane damages caused by termite and dominant termite populations in Guangxi

ObjectiveIn the present study, the occurrence, species and dominant population of termite in sugarcane planting areas were researched so as to provide theoretical basis for integrated control of termite. MethodRepresentative sample plots in major sugarcane planting areas such as Chongzuo, Beihai, Nanning, Liuzhou, and Laibin of Guangxi were selected to investigate the damage degree of termite against sugarcane. Eighteen sugarcane fields in the five cities were inves-tigated using five-point sampling method, and termite species and their proportions were studied. ResultTermite caused damage in all sugarcane major planting areas in Guangxi, and caused the most serious damage in Chongzuo and Beihai. The results showed that nine species of termites cause serious damage to sugarcane in Guangxi, belonging to two families and eight genus. The dominant populations were Odontotermes formosanus(52.89%), Ancistrotermes dimorphus(19.11%), Macrotermes barneyi (11.11%) and Reticulitermes speratus(6.67%).The termite species and dominant populations varied in different sugarcane areas. There were six species of termite in Chongzuo, and dominant populations were O. formosanus, A. dimorphus and M. annandalei. There were six species of termite in Beihai, and dominant populations were O. for-mosanus and M. annandalei; five species of termite in Nanning, and the dominant ones were O. formosanus,M. annandalei and R. speratus; three species of termite in Liuzhou, and the dominant populations were O. formosanus and M. annan-dalei; two species in Laibin, and the dominant population was O. formosanus. ConclusionThe occurrance of termite in Guangxi sugarcane planting areas is common and termite become one of the important pests sugarcane planting areas. The termite species and dominant polpulations in each sugarcane planting areas are different. Therefore, comprehensive control technique should be conducted targeting dominant termite species in different sugarcane planting areas, and control measures should be carried out seperately in each sugarcane planting area.