Diseases and pests affecting sugarcane are considered as production constraints and their management is critical to increase profitability and competitiveness of this industry. A joint workshop bringing together the Entomology and Pathology Sections of the ISSCT was held from 14-18 September 2015 in Guayaquil, Ecuador and was an opportunity to discuss topics common to both disciplines and to share the latest research results. The theme of the Workshop was `Enhancing innovative pest and disease management strategies in the sugar cane agrosystem'. Main topics of discussions included resistance and screening, host/pathogen/insect interaction, biosecurity, integrated pest/disease management, diagnosis, pest/disease assessment and yield losses, as well as biological control. The Keynote Address on sugarcane biosecurity fitted well with the objective of the Workshop as it was a common ground of concern for both entomologists and pathologists. Biosecurity issues also echoed well in terms of their relevance to international scientific collaboration on plant protection and there was a consensus that diseases and pest incursions could be taken up as a subject of discussion at the level of ISSCT for a synergistic approach.