Rice Pest Management and Biological Control

Abstract

Insect pests and disease infestations are the primary constraints in rice (Oryza sativa) production systems. The rice stem borer and brown plant hopper have the largest share. Concerns about the sustainability of conventional agriculture have prompted widespread introduction of integrated pest management, an ecologically-based approach to control of harmful insects and pests. Integrated pest management is intended to reduce ecological and health damage from chemical pesticides by using natural parasites and predators to control pest populations. The main points of this review are: (1) integrated pest management (IPM) practices in rice have been developed in different ways in many countries of the world, but these practices vary with the socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of each country. (2) Integrated pest management has been a valuable model for organizing research and extension efforts worldwide. (3) Biological control relies on the interaction of organisms with the target pests and the environment. It is therefore more complex than certain traditional pest control practices such as the use of chemical pesticides. (4) Destruction of natural enemies by certain insecticides supports the contention that insecticide use, especially early in the crop season, upsets natural enemy control of insects such as Brown planthopper and also creates heavy selection pressure for strains of pests that can overcome previously resistant rice cultivars. (5) Overall, results show the superiority of integrated pest management over chemical method or farmers’ own practices as indicated by the yield data and economic analysis. It is recommended that minimizing the pesticides applications and adopting different IPM practices against insects and pests, larger consideration should be given to farmer and their educational formats. The present article will shed light on different techniques of integrated pest management especially on biological control methods in rice crop.