Abstract
Rice is an important cereal crop and is cultivated virtually in all agro-ecological zones in Tanzania. However, production capacity is far below the national requirement. One of the major reasons for the low yields of rice in Tanzania is damage by insect pests, particularly rice stem borers. Four rice stem borer species reported to infest rice crop in Tanzania includes the white stem borer, Maliarpha seperatella Ragonot, African pink borer, Sesamia calamistis Hamson, spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus Swinhoe and stalk-eyed fly, Diopsis thoracica Westwood. Inappropriately, the potential for proper management of these stem borers to enhance yield has not been fully realized due to limited information available for the respective stem borer species. Proper management of rice stem borers, therefore, is a pre-requisite for enhanced and sustainable rice production among smallholder farmers that epitomize the rice production industry in Tanzania. In this review, rice stem borers were reviewed with emphasis on occurrence and distribution, nature of damage, biology and life cycle, host plant and management options.
Highlights
Rice, Oryza sativa L, is the most cultivated cereal crop worldwide due to its high-calorie provision per hectrage compared to other cereal food crops (IRRI, 2002; Pillai, 2005)
The purpose of this review was, to update previous information available on rice stem borers based on literature by sticking on occurrence and distribution, nature of damage, biology and life cycle, host plants and management strategies
Many control measures including biological, cultural and chemical control strategies have been suggested under this review among which fewer of them are practiced in Tanzania
Summary
Oryza sativa L, is the most cultivated cereal crop worldwide due to its high-calorie provision per hectrage compared to other cereal food crops (IRRI, 2002; Pillai, 2005). Rice is one of the most important sources of employment and income generation for rural people (Maclean, Dawe, Hardy, & Hettel, 2002). In Tanzania, rice is the second most important staple crop after maize with average annual production estimated at 1,700,000 metric tonnes (TRVC, 2015). It is cultivated in three agro-ecologies which include rain-fed lowland, irrigated lowland and rain-fed upland (Mghase, Shiwachi, Nakasone, & Takahashi, 2010). Lowland conditions (irrigated and rain fed) account for about 80% and upland for about 20% of the production (Kanyeka, Sangu, Fargette, Pinel-Galz, & Hébrard, 2007). The population in Tanzania is currently growing at a rapid rate of 2.8%
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