Adopt control measures only if the pest / disease population exceeds the economic threshold levels.
Economic threshold levels (ETLs)
Crop stage and pest |
Economic threshold levels |
A. Nursery |
|
1. Green leaf hopper |
1-2 insects/m2 |
2. Gall midge |
1 silver shoot (gall)/m2 |
3. Stem borer |
1 moth or 1 egg mass/m2 |
4. Blast |
5% disease severity |
B. Planting to pre-tillering |
|
1. Leaf folder |
2 freshly damaged leaves/hill |
2. Yellow stem borer |
10% dead hearts or one egg mass or one moth/m2 |
3. Gall midge |
1 gall/m2 in endemic areas or 5% affected tillers in non-endemic areas. |
4. Brown plant hopper |
5 to 10 insects/hill |
5. Green leaf hopper |
10 insects/hill (in RTV endemic areas 21 insects/hill) |
6. White backed plant hopper |
10 insects/hill |
7. Rice Hispa |
2 adults or 2 damaged leaves/hill |
C. Mid-tillering |
|
1. Leaf folder |
2 freshly damaged leaves/hill |
2. Stem borer |
10% dead heart or 1 moth or 1 egg mass/m2 |
3. Gall midge |
10% silver shoots |
4. Brown plant hopper |
10 insect/hill |
5. Green leaf hopper |
10-20 insects/hill |
6. Hispa |
2 adults or 2 damaged leaves/hill |
7. Blast |
Light (5-10% disease severity) |
8. Bacterial blight |
Light (2 to 5% disease severity) |
9. Sheath blight |
10% or more affected tillers |
10. Tungro |
1 affected hill/m2 |
D. Panicle initiation to booting |
|
1. Stem borer |
1 egg mass or 1 moth/m2 |
2. Leaf folder |
2 freshly damaged leaves/hill |
3. Green leaf hopper |
20 insects/hill |
4. Brown plant hopper |
15 to 20 insects/hill |
5. White backed plant hopper |
15 to 20 insects/hill |
6. Blast |
5 to 10% leaf area damaged |
7. Bacterial blight |
Light to moderate (2-5% disease severity) |
8. Sheath blight |
10% or more tillers affected |
E. Flowering and after |
|
1. Brown plant hopper |
25 to 30 insects/hill |
2. Climbing cutworm |
4-5 larvae/m2 |
3. Rice bug |
1 or 2 bugs/hill |
4. Blast |
5% leaf area damaged or 1 to 2% neck infection |
5. Sheath rot / brown spot / slight panicle discolouration |
2-5% tillers affected |
6. Sheath blight |
10% or more tillers affected |
7. Stem borer |
2% white ear head |
Source: Manual on Integrated Pest Management in Rice, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage.
Note:
(1) The population should be estimated on the basis of careful and regular surveillance.
(2) When natural enemies of brown plant hopper, green leaf hopper, stem borers and leaf folders are present, application of chemical measures can be delayed or dispensed with.
Pests
Rice stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulas)
Symptoms
In the vegetative phase, the central shoot dies off turning yellow in colour (dead heart). In the ear bearing stage, the ear head appears completely chaffy and white in colour (white ear head). Both come out easily when pulled up and show indication of feeding injuries at the base.