LAFAYETTE PARISH — For Kurt Pierre, sugarcane has always been part of life in Broussard. So has the annual impact of burning season on his sinuses.
But the arrival of a new pest in Louisiana’s sugarcane fields has Pierre asking different questions about what is being used to protect the crop.
“My sinus hit me, I'm out for about a week, so I kind of prepare for it. But if it's something new, how can you prepare for it if you don't know what it is?” Pierre said.
The pasture mealybug has spread across Louisiana’s sugarcane-growing region, prompting farmers and researchers to focus on ways to control it before it causes significant damage. In severe infestations, the pest can lead to complete crop loss.
LSU AgCenter entomologist Blake Wilson said the effects of the pest can become visible as an infestation progresses.
“It can produce yellow leaves. It typically starts low in the canopy and then moves up as the infestation worsens,” Wilson said.
The LSU AgCenter has detected the pasture mealybug in 14 parishes. While the pest has not been found in Lafayette Parish, where Pierre lives, its spread has already led to widespread treatment across the state's sugarcane industry.
Wilson said the scale of the response has been significant.
“I think probably close to half the state's acreage – so maybe 250,000 acres – has been sprayed for pasture mealybug,” Wilson said.
As growers work to contain the pest, researchers are also addressing questions about the insecticides being used in fields.The treatments have received approval through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Wilson said following the required application guidelines is key to limiting risk.
“We have obtained a registration through the EPA. So as long as the producers and aerial applicators follow the regulations laid out by the label, there shouldn't be any real risk,” Wilson said.
For Pierre, however, knowing that the treatments are regulated does not eliminate his questions. He wants more information about what is being sprayed and what that could mean for people who live near sugarcane fields and eventually consume products made from the crop.
“It seems these days everything is trying to kill us with the stuff they're putting in it, so definitely having a pamphlet or something on what they're using would be helpful so we can know what's coming into our bodies,” Pierre said.
