ILOILO – Rice black bugs have been sighted in the 3rd District’s Janiuay town – the fourth in the province threatened by infestation.
Dr. Ildefonso Toledo, chief of the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO), confirmed receiving an initial report of the infestation in some barangays of Janiuay.
Around 10 percent, or six hectares out of 89 hectares with standing crops, are affected, he added.
The technical personnel of PAO are currently validating the report.
“As to the barangays amon pa nga i-validate, pero ang total reported affected is only 10 percent or six hectares, kay ang ila reported standing crops right now is 89 hectares,” Toledo said.
Rice black bugs were first reported in Concepcion, Cabatuan and Pototan towns.
Toledo clarified he has yet to receive an official report from the three towns on the extent of the infestation, adding that there could be no official report of damage filed with their respective municipal agriculture officers, or the effect is very minimal.
The PAO chief said Concepcion currently does not have standing crops and that the rice black bugs were only seen in the covered gym of Barangay Aglosong.
He also said it is a blessing that the rice black bugs attacked just this month when almost all rice have been harvested, and would not cause big losses to farmers.
Rice black bugs, according to Toledo, attack the rice plant when it is still at an early stage up to the maturing stage by sucking out the sap and causing the plant to wither.
The International Rice Research Institute suggests the following to determine if rice plants are being attacked by rice black bugs:
* Check leaves for discoloration. Black bug damage can cause reddish brown or yellowing of plants. Leaves also have chlorotic lesions.
* Check for decreased tillering. Bugburn symptoms show wilting of the tillers with no visible honeydew deposits or sooty molds.
* Plants are also stunted; and can develop stunted panicles, no panicles, incompletely exerted panicles, and unfilled spikelets or whiteheads at the booting stage.
* Check for deadhearts.
Deadhearts can also be caused by stemborer. To confirm the cause of damage, pull infected plants. In black bug damage, infected plants cannot be pulled at the bases.
Heavy infestation and “bug burn” is usually visible after heading or maturing.
According to Toledo, farmers can do two things to eradicate rice black bugs.
First is the setting up of high-wattage lights to attract rice black bugs, or “light trapping”. Once the rice black bugs gather, put them in a sack and bury them.
Light trapping of insects should start five days before and after the full moon, experts recommend. Use 2,000 to 3,000 watts or super light during outbreaks and set them up every night to obtain the most bugs.
Effective light trapping is from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight, according to experts.
Toledo does not encourage spraying insecticides or pesticides.
“I’m not encouraging nga magamit sang insecticides and pesticides kay ang aton friendly insects madala man nga magkalamatay, indi lang rice black bugs,” the PAO chief explained.
Second, irrigate the field so that the rice black bugs escape and their eggs are less likely to survive.
Toledo is also pushing the farmers to synchronize planting so that the rice black bugs will have nowhere to transfer to.
But he admitted it will be difficult to implement synchronized planting because most of the rice fields are rainfed.
Toledo hopes that once the Jalaur River Multi-purpose Project Stage II is completed, farmers can synchronize planting because there is enough water for irrigation.
In the meantime, the PAO chief reminded farmers to be vigilant.
“I-observe lang nila ang protocols sa rice farming, and as much as possible, indi lang mag-spray,” said Toledo. (With reports from PhilRice, IRRI, topbest.ph)/PN
