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| Rice black bug. Photo by Bulacan PAO |
MALOLOS
CITY—Ever heard of herding ducks in the rice field soon after crop gets
established?
Well,
that’s one of the solutions offered by the experts in further controlling
possible rice black bug infestation in Central Luzon where ricelands are also
being threatened by irrigation shortage due to possible long dry spell.
Aside
from the above, experts also suggested intensive implementation of integrated
pest management (IPM), spraying of
pathogenic microorganism called metarhizium, and raising water level on
ricelands.
Based
on records from the Central Luzon office of the Department of Agriculture (DA),
rice black bug (Scotinophara coarctata) infestation has affected 2,820 hectares of farmlands in the region.
They
said it remains under control but local agriculturist in Bulacan are not taking
it easy noting that hot temperatures leads rice black bug to further burrow
itself on rice stems.
Citing
experts’ explanation,Gloria Carillo, head of the Bulacan Provincial Agriculture
Office (PAO) said that the bug used to suck sap on the rice stem and lay eggs
on it.
“It’s
an invasive pest species that attacks all growth stages of the rice plant,” she
said in describing the bug.
At
present, Carillo said that there have been sightings of the bug in the towns of
Bulakan, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael and Baliwag, all in the province
of Bulacan.
Other
provinces in Central Luzon showed greater impacts of infestation caused by the
bug.
Records
from the DA-III office showed that a total of 570 hectares of ricelands in the
province of Aurora were affected by the
bug.
Also
in Nueva Ecija (550 has), Pampanga (220 has), and Tarlac with 1,500 hectares.
Records
also showed impacts on rice yields in affected areas ranged from 3-5 percent in
Nueva Ecija, 10-20 percent in Tarlac, 20 percent in Aurora, and 20 to 40
percent in Pampanga.
Felicito
Espiritu, head of the DA-III information office said that while affected areas
in the region climbed over 2,000 hectares, the infestation remained under
control.
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| Trapping rice black bug in Bulakan town. Photo by Bulacan PAO |
He
said that local farmers has been trained to conduct regular monitoring through
surveillance using light trapping equipment.
He
explained that light trapping equipment which utilizes bright lights attracts
black bugs.
Records
showed that rice black bug infestation in the country is not new.
It
is first monitored in 1979 in Southern Palawan where an outbreak was recorded
in 1982 covering 4,500 hectares.
In
the years that followed, incidents were recorded in 1996 in Zamboanga City
damaging about 2,000 hectares; in 1995 it became a serious pest in the
Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM); and in 1996, it moved to the
provinces of Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat.
In
1998, rice black bug infestations were recorded in Davao Del Sur and Negros
Occidental; then in Siquijor and Bohol provinces the following year.
From
the year 2000 onwards, infestations were further recorded northwards.
Records
showed that in 2000, infestation was recorded in Caraga Region, followed by
Leyte in 2001; Samar in 2003; Sorsogon in 2005;
and Catanduanes, Albay and Camarines Sur provinces in the Bicol region
in 2006.
By
2007, first infestation was recorded in the province of Aurora, then in Isabela
and Laguna the following year; and in other parts of Luzon in 2010. Dino Balabo