Data from: Prior sugarcane borer damage does not impact conspecific damage or perennial crop yield in subsequent years of growth

<p dir="ltr">In perennial sugarcane (<i>Saccharum</i> spp.) agroecosystems, herbivory by lepidopteran stem borers like the sugarcane borer (SCB; <i>Diatraea saccharalis</i> (F.)) early in a growing season can increase the probability of conspecific herbivory later in the crop year. However, it is unknown if the effects of prior stem borer damage either to vegetatively propagated seed cane or standing plants can impact conspecific herbivory in ratoon growth following annual aboveground biomass harvest. Using the multiyear harvest cycle of Louisiana sugarcane, we conducted two field experiments and an analysis of a long-term dataset to evaluate if prior SCB damage increased levels of conspecific damage in subsequent crop years. In the first field study, we evaluated if SCB damage to whole stalk and billet seed cane decreased tiller emergence, aboveground biomass, fiber, and sucrose in the following two years of plant growth (i.e., plant cane and first ratoon). In the second field study, we evaluated the impacts of SCB damage sustained during different combinations of crop years on subsequent SCB damage and plant metrics as well as potential mechanisms mediating herbivore damage (i.e., nutrients and biological control potential). Finally, using a long-term dataset, we evaluated if SCB damage accrued during plant cane impacted the probability of conspecific damage in the first ratoon.</p>