Latest and effective methods of controlling insect pests on rice

Abstract

With increased rice production under improved methods, the problem of plant protection is more accentuated. Insect infestation is found to be more in rice under high fertility. The usual indirect methods advocated till now, have not achieved the expected results. Chemical method of control appears to be the most effective at present. Insecticidal control of pests that feed on the foliage of the plant is comparatively easier. In the case of pests that remain concealed during their destructive phase, the choice of a suitable insecticide, the method and time of application of the insecticide seem to be the deciding factors in achieving effective control. At the Central Rice Research Institute, stem borers and gallfly have been effectively controlled by timing the application of insecticides to synchronise with the pest emergence. In the case of stem borers, a set of two sprayings is necessary at the time of brood emergence. The first spray kills the moths and checks oviposition while the second one, given 8–10 days later, kills the newly hatched larvae before they bore into the stem. In the case of gallfly, spraying four times during the vegetative phase of the crop to synchronise with brood emergence reduced the incidence considerably. Yet insecticidal method can only be an adjunct or complementary to other methods of pest control. Biological control of these pests needs to be fully explored for a practical solution of the problem. Establishment of a pest warning organization is an immediate necessity to enable cultivators to take suitable pest control measures in time on a co-operative effort.