CEREAL LEAFROLLER IS A DANGEROUS GRAIN PEST

Abstract

An increase in the number and harmfulness of the cereal leafroller, as a new pest, has been noted in the recent decade in a number of southern regions of Russia. For the Central Ciscaucasia, in the arid area of the Stavropol Territory, the cereal leafroller (Cnephasia pasiuana (Hübner, 1799)) is also a relatively new pest, although as a species it is widespread in Eurasia. The harmfulness of this phytophage has been poorly studied. Until now, plant protection specialists often attribute its damage to ears to the results of the feeding of harmful shield-backed bugs and do not attach much importance to the control of this pest. In forecasts of the branches of the FSBI “Russian Agricultural Center” of the southern regions and districts, the harmfulness of the species also has not been given due attention yet. No solid thresholds of harmfulness have been established and crop losses from the leafroller have not been determined. They are often overestimated in the scientific literature. In 2024, in the arid zone of the Stavropol Territory, in the Novoselitsky District, during the grain filling period of winter wheat, considerations of the number and harmfulness of the cereal leafroller, which damaged from 20 to 3–7 ears per 1 m², were carried out. Economic damage was calculated – 3,4% of the yield. In order to control the leafroller, it is necessary to use contact-intestinal insecticides, which are approved for the use on winter wheat [12] during the period of the larvae transition to external feeding and leaving in the leaf sheath of flag leaf – 2-3 weeks after the caterpillars appear on the crops. We consider the treatment of forest belts during the hatching period of caterpillars unacceptable in order to protect birds and beneficial entomofauna, which find refuge only in uncultivated forest plantations. In order to reduce the toxic load on the ecosystem, it is desirable to use biological preparations BioSleep BT and BioSleep BW. It is advisable to study the effectiveness of these biological products in forest belts during caterpillar hatching.