Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 July 2009
The management of the sugar-cane crop in Trinidad involves widespread aerial spraying against the sugar-cane froghopper (Aeneolamia varia saccharina (Dist.)). For control decisions to be made on an economic basis, information concerning the damage and control relationships associated with this pest is required. Assuming a linear damage function, a cost-effective analysis based on the relative cost of eliminating adult-days is made concerning the choice of insecticide and the decision—when to spray. It appears that a first-brood spraying strategy is more cost-effective than a strategy of later-brood spraying alone, provided that the density and duration of the first-brood can be accurately monitored.