A review of Sorghum insect problems in Australia

The insect pests attacking grain sorghum in Australia are reviewed. For easy handling the insects are grouped according to the stages in plant growth which they attack, e. g. pests of the planting and seedling stages, pests of the vegetative stage, pests of flowering stage and pests of the maturity stage. Reference is made to the importance of storage pests. The adoption of minimum tillage practices in Australian summer cropping areas, the importance of soil insects during establishment stage of the crop is expected to increase. The sorghum midgeContarinia sorghicola (Coquillet) no doubt is the most damaging pest species.Heliothis armigera (Hübner) is second in importance to sorghum midge as a pest of sorghum. Damage and control methods of this and other pests are discussed. Economic injury levels are also discussed.