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New Rice Bug Infesting Rice Crops in 4 regions, including Bicol
| By goGreen | February 8, 2012 |  |
A new insect pest of rice was reported to have infested some rice farms in Regions 5, 7, 8 and 13. The advisory on this pest was contained in the Memorandum issued last December 21, 2011 by Dr, Clarito M. Barron, director of the Bureau of Plant Industry, the DA attached agency receiving and consolidating reports from the field regarding plant infestation and other crops concerns.
The pest was found to be infesting rice panicles, from flowering stage to milking stage, which results to unfilled or discolored grains that eventually reduces quality and subsequently yield .
The pest was temporarily identified by the Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC) of DA Region 8 in Tacloban as Paromius longulus – subject for verification and formal identification by experts. it is called by different names by the other regions like rice seed bug, dirt-colored seed bug and rice grain bug.
The presence of this pest in Bicol was detected September last year in 2 barangays in Ragay, Camarines Sur according to Dr. Evangeline C. de la Trinidad, chief of the Regional Crop Protection Center .
She reported that an estimate of 100 hectares of rice crops in Ragay and Dimasalang, Masbate were damaged. The extent of damaged was estimated to be 50 to 70 percent. Dela Trinidad collected several specimen of these pest from Ragay Dimaslang, Masbate and submitted them to the Bureau of Plant and Industry in Manila . There were also report of sightings of this pest in Libmanan, Camarines Sur but according to de la Trinidad they have yet to verify these reports.
The Bureau of Plant Industry, Manila has recommended the following measures and strategies to control the spread of this pest:
1) burn or plow under rice straw/stubbles right after harvest to kill the bugs;
2) ensure sanitation and cleanliness including the dikes;
3) monitor the field regularly to determine early pest appearance; and
4) In case, the pest is already present apply ‘green label’ contact insecticides at early morning or late afternoon.
DA Bicol regional executive director Jose V. Dayao assures farmers that there is nothing to be alarmed about this infestation as it is not widespread but limited to a very small area. He however, urged farmers and technicians to closely monitor rice farms and immediately report to the RCPC presence of said pest and other disease incidence. (Emily B. Bordado, DA Region V Info Div.)
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