Management of economically important sorghum insect pests

Insect pests attack various developmental stages of the Sorghum, Sorghum bicolor L. Moench (Poaceae), from seeds to seedlings, whorls, flowering structures, and mature grain. Important sorghum insect pests include leaf sucking species, leaf feeding species, stalk or stem borers, pests of the panicle and of the stored grain. Damage to sorghum from these insects’ pests reduce its productivity and cause economic loss to farmers especially low-income farmers in developing countries. Modern management strategies include cultural, mechanical and physical controls, host plant resistance, the use of biological control and natural enemies, pesticides (chemical, botanicals or microbial) and integrated pest management. Other potential managements include, commercialization of botanical pesticides being used locally in small-scale, on-farm and storage systems in Africa and Asia. An integrated approach based on a combination of insect growth regulators, incorporation of semiochemicals to dispense microbial pathogens in different formulations with a well-designed trap for management. Conservation practices to attract and protect natural enemies native to the landscape by reducing pesticide use and providing flowering plants as a nectar source. The long-term successful management will include regulatory policies to limit the invasion of new pests into sorghum producing areas.