SRA may tap fungus to keep sugarcane pest under control - BusinessWorld Online

Fungi eyed vs sugarcane plague

The Sugar Regulatory Administration is looking at mass-producing the entomopathogenic fungi to eliminate the red-striped soft scale insects that have been destroying sugarcane farms in Negros and Panay.

SRA may tap fungus to keep sugarcane pest under control - BusinessWorld Online

THE Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said it is considering turning to a fungus that is a natural enemy of the red striped soft-scale insect (RSSI) to curb the sugarcane pest. SRA Administrator and CEO Pablo Luis S. Azcona told reporters that farmers could be taught to deploy Metarhizium anisopliae, which grows naturally on Panay. RSSI has the potential to reduce the sugar content of cane by 50%. The fungus could be part of an integrated pe…

Bacolod: SRA exploring potential of RSSI-fighting fungus - Radio Philippines Network

Bacolod City – The Sugar Regulatory Administration is now working on an entomo-pathogenic fungi, which was discovered in Capiz, as it could help eliminate the Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) pests that are attacking sugarcane fields in Negros and Panay island. SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said they are now studying the culture and multiplication of two beneficial fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana, as a long term so…

Gov't reports gains in fight vs. RSSI pest with help from stakeholders

MANILA – The government is seeing progress in its efforts to contain the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation that has threatened sugarcane farms in Negros Occidental. In an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Friday, Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Pablo Azcona said…

Giant fungus in Arunachal’s forests marks breakthrough in global mycology

Guwahati: In a landmark discovery, a team of Indian mycologists has identified a gigantic new species of wood-decaying fungus in the dense coniferous forests of Arunachal Pradesh—marking the first record of the rare genus Bridgeoporus in India and only the third species globally. Named Bridgeoporus kanadii, the species was found growing in dense clusters on dead Abies (fir) trees during […] The post Giant fungus in Arunachal’s forests marks brea…

SRA exploring potential of RSSI-fighting fungus

• GILBERT P. BAYORAN Participants take turns viewing RSSI in different life stages, under a microscope. The SRA has been advocating for early detection.*