The relative resistance of 13 Bttransgenic sugarcane lines to insect pests was investigated using plants planted in buckets in a quarantine greenhouse. Stem borer neonates Proceras venosatus Walker  were obtained by collecting sugarcane borer pupae from cane fields and allowing these to undergo eclosion, mate, oviposit and hatch under controlled, indoor conditions. Newly hatched larvae were then inoculated into the leaf spindle of sugarcane plants. The growth and survival of larvae and the degree of plant damage was investigated 7 days after inoculation. The results show that two indicators, larval mortality and plant damage, provided the most accurate indication of the relative resistance of sugarcane varieties to insect browsing. The 13 transgenic sugarcane lines varied markedly in resistance to stem borers, some being highly resistant and others highly sensitive. This method is a simple and reliable way to compare the resistance of Bttransgenic sugarcane lines to stem borer.