To limit pest and disease incidence in a rice crop, the following recommendations can be adopted.
- Practice proper cleaning of equipment
- Clean the field between seasons by managing stubbles and ratoons, and by maintaining & repairing bunds
- Use clean seeds and resistant varieties
- Certified seed is recommended. If certified seed is not available, use clean seed having no discolored seeds, weed seeds or other rice varieties mixed in
- Use short-duration and resistant cultivars to decrease insect- pest populations
- Plant at the same time as your neighbors (or within a 2 week window) to minimize insect, disease, bird, and rat pressure on individual fields.
- Do not over apply fertilizer. Following specific fertilizer recommendations is important because high nitrogen can increase susceptibility to certain pests and diseases
- Encourage natural pest enemies
- Overuse of pesticide is common among farmers and can actually lead to pest outbreaks
- Natural enemies of rice pests are killed when pesticides are applied which can lead to a pest outbreak
- Rice crops can recover from early damage without affecting yield
- Get appropriate information on specific diseases that require early management
When deciding to use a chemical for pest and disease control, it is important to:
- Use well-maintained spray equipment that has been properly calibrated;
- Apply the dosage recommended by the manufacturer; and
- Follow the safety precautions for mixing and spray applications.
