Top borer (Scirpophaga excerptalis Family: Crambidae; Order: Lepidoptera) is one of the most damaging pests in sugarcane cultivation, leading to substantial losses in yield and crop quality. This study investigates the effectiveness of various Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies for controlling top borer in sugarcane cultivation, a crop vital to agricultural economies. A comparative evaluation was conducted on cultural, biological, chemical, and precision-based approaches to determine their sustainability and economic viability. Results indicate that conventional chemical control reduced pest populations by 65% and increased yields by 10%, while biological control achieved a 20% reduction with a 5% yield improvement. Resistant sugarcane varieties performed better, suppressing infestations by 75% and enhancing yields by 13%. The highest impact was observed with IPM systems combining Effective Microorganism (EM) based bio-pesticides, manual labor, selective pesticide use, and real-time monitoring, which achieved a 90% reduction in pest populations and a 20% increase in yield. Furthermore, precision agriculture technologies such as drones, remote sensing, and targeted spraying enhanced pest suppression up to 95%, resulting in a 35% yield increase and reducing harvest losses to below 10%. These outcomes highlight the superiority of precision-supported IPM as a sustainable and effective approach for managing top borer infestations in sugarcane farming.
integrated pest management; scirpophaga excerptalis; sugarcane; precision agriculture;yield improvement