Farmers should be mindful of the sugarcane aphid, which infested grain and forage sorghum crops in parts of Texas in 2014, according to AgriLife Today.
“Sugarcane aphids feed on plant sap, causing sorghum leaves to turn purple and yellow and reduce yield,” said Dr. Allen Knutson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist. “This aphid also produces great quantities of sticky honeydew which collects on leaves and stalks. At harvest, these sticky plants clog up combines and reduce harvest efficiency.”
The aphid will probably not survive the winter in North Texas, where sorghum and Johnsongrass freeze. But aphids could survive in South Texas, where sorghum and Johnsongrass can remain green during the winter. In the spring, winged sugarcane aphids are carried by the wind into North and West Texas. All sugarcane aphids are female and have a high reproductive rate.
“That’s why it’s important for farmers to scout fields and identify the sugarcane aphid infestations as soon as possible,” Knutson said. “Infestations can increase very rapidly, so frequent field inspection is critical. An infestation of 50 aphids per leaf can increase to 500 aphids per leaf in two weeks, given favorable conditions.”