Key Check 7. No significant yield loss due to pests.
Importance. Pest management is an integral component of rice
production. Knowledge of the interactions of the rice crop with the
biotic factors, agro-ecosystem, and the crop management system provides
an accurate understanding of the destructive potential of pests.
Correct pest identification and application of integrated crop
management technologies (resistant variety, land preparation, date and
method of crop establishment, biological control, varietal rotation,
fertilizer and water management , and pesticides) during crop
development are needed in its success. Assessment of Key Check. No significant yield loss due to insect pests, diseases, weeds, rats, snails, and birds. Significant pest damage occurs when one or more pests cause damage as described in Table 4, Table 5, and Table 6.
Common insect pests in the rice field
      Common diseases in the rice field
    
Common beneficial organisms in the rice field
    Common Philippine Weeds
   
Recommendations to achieve Key Check
- Use varieties resistant to pests prevalent in the locality. The use of resistant varieties is the first line of defense in pest management and is compatible with biological control.
Change or rotate varieties every 2 to 4 croppings to disrupt insect pest and disease adaptation, thereby preventing build up of virulent pathogens and insect pests.
- Adopt a synchronous planting scheme after a fallow period in the locality.
- Conserve beneficial organisms. There are rich communities of beneficial organisms in the rice ecosystem in the absence of natural-enemy killing pesticides. The indiscriminate use of pesticides reduces biodiversity and disrupts the natural balance of insect pests and beneficial organisms. Conservation of these beneficial organisms is safe, economical, and permanent. For example, long-horned grasshopper feeds on the egg mass of stemborers while spiders feed on the nymphs and adults of leafhoppers and planthoppers.
Management options for major pests
Conduct field monitoring. Regular
field monitoring especially at the early stage of crop growth helps
identify the potential pests at its initial stage of development.
Preventive management options can be applied, as in the case of
diseases before they spread and reach intolerable levels. For insect pests, corrective management options are recommended.
Insect pests. Do
not spray against defoliators during the first 30 DAT or 40 DAS. Plants
compensate to early season damage by producing new leaves and tillers.
Spraying prevents the early season movement and colonization of
beneficial organisms in the field.
Diseases. Correct
diagnosis and field sanitation help prevent the spread of diseases. To
diagnose the disease, compare the appearance of the infected plant with
other plants of the same variety and age. Consider disease
distribution, spread, and condition of the field. It also helps to
examine closely the infected plant and see if there are other organisms
on it.
To minimize pest and disease occurrence (i.e., tungro),
observe one-month fallow period or avoid three croppings in a year or
quick turnaround period. It is recommended to examine the infected plant and presence of other organisms. To minimize disease severity, avoid too much application of nitrogen
fertilizer. Bacterial blight, sheath blight, and blast can be reduced
indirectly with LCC-based N fertilizer application
Rats. The
presence of rats can be indicated by active rat burrows, footprints,
cut tillers, and runways. The trap barrier system (TBS) is one of the
ways to monitor rat population. If installed a month before the regular cropping season, it can a be guide to start rat control operations.
Proper timing, active and sustained community-wide control, and
integrated management practices like use of flamethrower, hunting,
baiting, trapping, and cleaning must be done to effectively manage
field rats.
Golden apple snails. Snails
feed on young rice seedlings.To manage them, keep the field saturated
during the early vegetative stage (within 2 weeks after transplanting
or 3 weeks after direct wet-seeding).
Construct small
canals and place attractants such as newsprint and broadleaves (e.g.
banana and gabi leaves) to facilitate snail collection, or place wire
or woven bamboo screen at the water inlets and outlets to prevent entry
to the fields.
Birds. Birds
are most abundant in rice fields during seeding and ripening stages.
They eat the pre-germinated seeds sown, damage the panicles and eat the
grains. Birds are usually found during the early morning or late
afternoon. Scaring away is a practical solution.
Weeds. To
reduce weed population, a wide range of practices should be followed:
proper land preparation, land leveling, water management, use of
healthy and clean seeds, varieties with good early vigor, and sound and
appropriate use of herbicides. Weed control is critical during the
first 30 to 40 days after transplanting or direct wet-seeding. BOX 5
PEST IDENTIFICATION
If an insect pest or disease and its management cannot be identified, call the attention of the pest specialist (entomologist/plant pathologist) or a team of pest specialists to properly identify the organism and decide on the appropriate course of action such as the use of pesticide, biological agent or cultural management.
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Pest Management
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