The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) on Thursday asked farmers to be on guard against the most common pests that usually attack crops, including rice, during the April-to-June period.
In a memorandum order published on Thursday, BPI OIC-Director Vivencio R. Mamaril also ordered the agency’s regional directors to monitor areas where pest infestation could occur in the second quarter.
“As per result of analysis from the pest reports that the region submitted to the Crop Pest Management Division [CPMD], you are hereby encouraged to alert your staff and closely monitor the listed areas for possible infestation of these top 5 pests that historically occur every second quarter of the year,” the memo read.
The BPI, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, noted that rodents, rice stemborer, armyworm, rice black bug and brown planthopper usually affect crops during the April-to-June period.
The 28 areas that are vulnerable to rodent infestation include provinces in Regions 2, 3, 4B and 6. According to the BPI, rodent infestation is triggered by the absence of effective vertebrate predation and asynchronous planting.
To address rodent infestation, the BPI said the following management options could be applied: trap barrier system, rat hunting, field sanitation and using flame thrower.
The BPI also said 34 sites are prone to rice-stemborer infestation, including Region 3—the country’s rice granary. It added that the use of excessive nitrogen fertilizer and asynchronous planting cause the infestation of rice stemborer.
The BPI advised farmers to thoroughly prepare the soil before planting to kill larvae and pupae, and plant rice varieties that are resistant to the rice stemborer.
The agency noted that the combination of high temperature and humidity could cause the infestation of brown planthopper and armyworm. The BPI said 15 sites are prone to armyworm infestation, while 27 sites are susceptible to the brown planthopper.
The BPI also identified 17 sites vulnerable to the rice black bug pest, which is usually caused by asynchronous planting.
The five pests that are likely to occur in the second quarter were based on historical data submitted by the BPI’s regional offices from 1993 to 2016.