After years of research and product development in Australian laboratories and canefields, Crop Care's controlled release suSCon Maxi is now registered for four-year control of Childers canegrub.

Crop Care business manager for suSCon products Kerrie Mackay said this was a very significant advance in pest control.

"Now that we have established the ability of suSCon Maxi to protect sugarcane for four years from Childers canegrub damage, we are confident our continuing research will result in registrations for longer term control of other grub species."

She said this milestone was just reward for more than 30 years of Australian research and development by Crop Care in partnership with BSES, growers, researchers and rural businesses.

"The patented sustained-control technology allows active ingredients to be gradually released at the target site over a prolonged period to provide long-term control of pests, with minimal impact on the environment, reduced applications, and improved safety for operators."

Technical consultant to Crop Care, Glen Tucker said the farm studies had shown ongoing control of Childers canegrub into third and fourth ratoons.

"suSCon Maxi provided significant reductions in Childers canegrub numbers for up to four years (plant to third ratoon) when applied to conventionally-planted cane in single rows at planting or drill fill-in stages," he said.

"Even in young fourth ratoon cane, there was still a significant reduction in grub numbers at several suSCon Maxi-treated sites compared with untreated plots indicating that control had extended right through the fourth year (third ratoon) of the crop."

Mr Tucker said an application of suSCon Maxi to plant cane had resulted in significant increases in sugarcane yield in first, second and third ratoon crops where there were moderate to high populations of canegrubs in the crop.

Over a four-year crop cycle from planting to harvest of the third ratoon, suSCon Maxi-treated cane produced an extra 79.5 tonnes/ha (30 per cent) compared with untreated cane.