Influence of crop establishment methods on the incidence of major rice insect pests

Abstract

In the present study, four methods of rice crop establishment, viz. conventional transplantation, bed transplantation (BT), furrow transplantation (FT) and puddled direct seeding (PDS), were evaluated during two wet seasons to determine their influence on the incidence of insect pests and grain yield. Observations were recorded starting from 40 days after transplanting (DAT) and seeding (DAS) to 110 DAT and DAS. The interaction between crop establishment methods and observation days was significant in the case of folded leaves by Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee), deadhearts by Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker) and the Sogatella furcifera (Horvath) population. The number of folded leaves in the bed-transplanted crop (8.87%) and puddle direct seeded crop (10.62%) was significantly higher than that in crop grown using the other crop establishment methods. The incidence of deadheart damage was significantly higher in the PDS plots (5.85%), while that of whitehead damage was higher in the BT (5.89%) and PDS (6.54%) plots than in the plots managed by the other methods. The S. furcifera population build-up was significantly higher in the FT (1.98 hoppers/hill) and PDS (2.24 hoppers/hill) plots than in the plots managed by the other crop establishment methods. Paddy yield was significantly higher in the conventionally transplanted crops followed by the furrow- and bed-transplanted crops.