UF researchers get $200K to study invasive pest threatening Florida sugarcane

University of Florida researchers have been awarded $200,000 in federal funding to study the invasive pasture mealybug and its effects on Florida's sugarcane industry, WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando reported.

The two-year grant supports research in Florida and Louisiana, the only two states in the U.S. that produce sugarcane. UF/IFAS researchers at the Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade are collaborating with Louisiana State University on this project.

Pasture mealybugs feed on sugarcane and other grasses, causing leaves to yellow and potentially leading to significant crop yield losses. According to Julien Beuzelin, an associate professor of entomology at the center, if left unmanaged, the pest could destroy entire sugarcane fields.

The research aims to understand how infestations correlate with leaf yellowing and crop yields, helping growers decide when to take action. The ultimate goal is to develop practical, science-based recommendations to manage the pest while its full impact on Florida's sugarcane remains uncertain.