Discuss solutions to prevent pests on winter-spring rice in the final stage of the crop

On the morning of April 25, the Northern Plant Protection Center coordinated with the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Ninh Binh province to organize a conference to deploy the work of preventing and controlling major pests on rice in the final stage of the 2023-2024 Winter-Spring crop in the northern provinces.

Attending the event were leaders of the Plant Protection Department, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ninh Binh province, the Vietnam Association of Plant Protection Manufacturers and Traders (VIPA); leaders of the Plant Protection Sub-Departments of the Northern provinces; and representatives of a number of enterprises producing and trading plant protection products.

In the 2023-2024 Winter-Spring crop, the northern provinces planted more than 703,000 hectares of rice. Due to the impact of the weather, especially the cold spell in the first half of February, which affected the growth of rice plants, it is expected that rice in the provinces will ripen 5-7 days later than in the previous Winter-Spring crop. In addition, the main pests and diseases on rice such as rice blast, leaf roller, brown planthopper - white-backed planthopper, brown leaf blight, rats... have a higher distribution area and level of damage than in the 2022-2023 Winter-Spring crop. In particular, the density and infected area of the first generation of leaf rollers are much higher than the same generation last year. As of April 18, over 60,000 hectares of rice have been infected.

It is forecasted that from now until the end of the season, the situation of pests and diseases will continue to be complicated, the neck blast disease will arise and develop strongly on susceptible varieties, and areas with heavy leaf blast. With small leaf rollers, the second generation of larvae will hatch and cause damage concentrated from April 25 to early May, distributed mainly on the main spring rice crop, late spring rice in the pre-heading stage. In many places, the density of larvae can reach 50-100 individuals/m2, in some places up to 500 individuals/m2, especially in coastal provinces. In addition, the second generation of planthoppers will also continue to appear, with a wide distribution area, with a common density of 500-700 individuals/m2, in high places 2,000-5,000 individuals/m2, if not sprayed well, it is likely to cause small nest fires in the middle to the end of May.

In Ninh Binh province, the total area infected with pests as of April 16 was over 6,700 hectares (nearly 7 times higher than the same period of the 2022-2023 Winter-Spring crop). Of which, the heavily infected area was 664.5 hectares (many times higher than the same period of the 2022-2023 Winter-Spring crop), and the area that had been controlled was 3,800.5 hectares. The main pests were: leaf rollers, planthoppers, rats, and rice blast disease.

Speaking at the conference, delegates assessed that the situation of pests and diseases in the winter-spring crop this year is very complicated and proposed many solutions to prevent and control the situation well, ensuring the rice yield at the end of the crop.

Concluding the conference, Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department Nguyen Quy Duong requested: Localities need to strengthen field inspection, grasp pest developments, combine weather developments, crop growth; accurately assess the possibility of occurrence, the level of damage to promptly advise authorities at all levels to proactively direct pest prevention and control in the locality. Strengthen propaganda work, instruct farmers on pest prevention and control techniques, use pesticides according to the four correct principles. Do a good job of inspection and examination to ensure a stable market for pesticide trading, serving pest prevention and control well. Note that, for small leaf rollers in particular, the density in the fields is currently very high, each province must organize investigations, closely follow developments, choose appropriate spraying times to ensure the most effective (expected concentrated spraying time from April 25 to May 5, 2024).

Nguyen Luu-Anh Tuan

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