INFESTATION. Personnel of the Department of Agriculture-Regional Crop Protection Center distribute information materials to farmers on how to control rice black bug infestation in Barangay Townsite in Mariveles, Bataan on Wednesday (Nov. 24, 2021). Following the validation by personnel of the DA-Regional Crop Protection Center, it was found out that over 25 hectares of rice fields in Barangay Townsite have already been affected by rice black bug. (Photo by DA Region III)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office here has intensified measures to control the black bug infestation in Bataan.
The DA, through the Regional Crop Protection Center, on Wednesday discussed with farmers in Barangay Townsite in Mariveles, Bataan the necessary steps on how to contain the rice black bug, which has attacked some rice fields in the area.
According to studies, the pest attack, when not properly controlled, can reportedly cause losses of up to 35 percent involving 10 adult rice black bugs per hill.
Following the validation made by the personnel of the DA-Regional Crop Protection Center, it was found out that more than 25 hectares of rice fields in Barangay Townsite have already been affected by rice black bug.
“Sana ay matulungan po kami ng DA sa pagpuksa ng rice black bug kasi ang ginagamit namin na pamatay ay di masyadong epektibo (Hopefully, the DA could help us control the rice black bug because the one that we are using to control black bug is not effective),” farmer Manolito Villena said in social media account post.
DA regional executive director Crispulo Bautista said they have intensified the production and distribution of biological control agents, such as Metarhizium, for farmers to effectively implement the integrated pest management (IPM) to control the infestation.
Bautista said DA-Regional Crop Protection Center discussed with the farmers the Metarhizium production and application, which is said to be the primary method to control rice black bug.
He also underscored the importance of information dissemination to raise awareness among farmers so they could properly identify the presence of rice black bugs in their farms.
Once they observe the presence of the rice black bug, the farmers must immediately report this to their local agriculture office for immediate control measures, he added.
According to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Crop Protection Division, the rice black bug, which was reported to have infested some countries in Asia in the past years, are small, cryptic, and highly invasive pest species attacking all growth stages of the rice plant, but which can be controlled naturally.
One of PhilRice's recommended techniques is to use light traps.
PhilRice experts said light trapping of insects should start five days before and after the full moon and to use 2,000 to 3,000 watts or super light during outbreaks and set them up every night to obtain the most number of bugs.
The effective light trapping is from 8 p.m. to 12 p.m.
Philrice experts also said that flooding, herding of ducks in the field, and sanitation also prevent pest infestation.
Aside from those techniques, they are encouraging farmers to minimize the use of insecticide so as not to kill the natural enemies of rice black bug which include wasps, ground and coccinellid beetle, wolf, lynx, and long-jawed spider, red ant, and damsel bug. (PNA)
