Recentexperiments With soil Animals Attacking Roots of Sugarcane

Abstract

During 1929, the growth of sugarcane grown in large cylinders containing sterilized or unsterilized soil, and inoculated with soil animals, or the fungus Pythium, or both Pythium and soil animals was affected adversely by the activities of these biological factors. They reduced the weight of cane, length of cane, and sucrose content. Confirmatory evidence was obtained, that the Collembolans, Lepidocyrtus violentus Fols. and Onychiurus armatus Tull., and the Symphylid, Sympkylella sp. “pit” the roots and eat away the small feeding rootlets. Lepidocyrtus and Onychiurus were found responsible for part of the unsatisfactory germination of planted sugarcane, by destructive feeding on the “eyes” (buds).