Hawaiian mill rolls out organic solution vs sugarcane pest

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – The Hawaiian-Philippine Company (HPCo), one of the country’s pioneering sugar mills, has launched an intensified response to the Red Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) infestation affecting sugarcane farms in Negros Occidental.

Led by Chairman Paul Andrew Curran, HPCo developed and began deploying a specialized organic solution in early June to target varying levels of RSSI infestation.

A press statement released Thursday said the initiative is supported by Israeli agricultural experts Yael Skutelsky and Nina Lehmann, who visited Negros from Aug. 10 to 16 to share insights on biological pest management and help refine the treatment process.

Under their guidance, HPCo’s technical team created a protocol involving assessment, spraying and monitoring cycles to manage RSSI populations while protecting beneficial insects.

The protocol was first tested in HPCo’s cane fields before being rolled out to neighboring sugarcane farms.

“The use of organic solution in RSSI-affected sugarcane will not kill the beneficial insects present,” said Rodeo Suating, HPCo CoGen Head and Regulatory Compliance Officer.

“The organic solution will focus on pest growth disruption and reproduction suppression,” Suating added.

“Our main goal is to lower the ratio of RSSI to a certain threshold so that beneficial insects can naturally manage them,” he said.

The RSSI typically targets sugarcane planted along field edges or within five meters of the roadside.

Infestations result in yellowing leaves, shortened jutes, and stunted cane growth.

The insect’s life cycle begins with instar nymph infection, usually occurring two to three months after cane planting, with both young and adult scales becoming prominent from the fourth to tenth month.

The protocol begins with an infestation-level assessment, followed by an initial spraying of the organic solution, based on severity.

A second assessment and spraying are conducted to reinforce results, and a final round of evaluation confirms whether RSSI has been reduced to a manageable level for natural predators.

HPCo committed to distributing the organic solution to affected farms within its mill district.

Planters, through their associations, will be responsible for assessing infestation levels and conducting spraying and de-trashing activities while strictly following the HPCo-developed protocol.

The organic solution, tested by HPCo’s research and development team, is designed to avoid harming beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings, spiders and others that naturally prey on pests.

“This is the most affordable option over the use of commercial pesticide, which simultaneously eradicates beneficial insects in the area,” Suating said.

“Our protocol is available for everyone in our mill district who is affected,” he added.

In collaboration with local government units and planters’ associations, HPCo is providing the initial dose of the organic solution free of charge to affected sugarcane farms in its mill district, particularly in EB Magalona and Silay City.