The Secret of Successful Farmers Free from Pest Attacks on Rice Crop Diseases that Make Maximum Harvest!

Rice crop disease pests (freepik)

YOGYAKARTA - The success of rice harvests is often disturbed by unexpected attacks. The serious threat of rice crop pests can drastically reduce the quality and quantity of agricultural yields, even causing crop failure.

As a farmer, it is important to recognize the enemies in your fields. A deep understanding of the types of attacks and the proper handling methods is the key to keeping the plants lush.

Why is Rice Vulnerable to Pests?

Rice is an important commodity as a staple food, but it is always threatened by crucial agricultural problems. The existence of rice crop pests is one of the main problems that farmers have to face.

Pest attacks can result in significant productivity losses if not handled properly.

For this reason, knowledge about the types of pests, the symptoms of the attack, and effective control strategies is very important to achieve the maximum target harvest.

Know 3 Rice Crop Disease Pests

Dilansir VOI dari laman Balai Besar Pelatihan Pertanian Binuang, berikut ini tiga hama paling merugikan petani padi di Indonesia:

Wereng Batang Cokelat (WBC)

Wereng is a plant sap-sucking insect with a brownish body, measuring 2 to 4.4 mm. This insect tends to be monofag and only infects rice and wild rice plants.

Wereng attack occurs at the early growth stage (about 15 HST) and can cause "puso", characterized by changes in the color of leaves and stems to yellow, straw brown, and drying.

What makes farmers wary, the population of 10-15 wereng per clump can cause severe damage. Control can be done through the use of superior varieties or natural predators.

Read also the article discussing 3 Types of Best Fertilizers for New Chili to Plant so that it is Fast Fertile and Produces Heavy Fruit

Rice Paddy Cutter

The life cycle of this pest begins with eggs laid by butterflies or moths. The attack occurs at all stages of growth. The symptoms are divided into two:

Sundep (before flowering): characterized by young rice leaves turning yellow, curled, and dead. Beluk (after malai comes out): characterized by white rice flowers or fruits, falling, and the bag is empty (gabuk).

For this reason, monitoring eggs and identifying symptoms are key to control.

Rice Rat (Ratus argentiventer)

Rice rats are pests that are difficult to control because of their rapid breeding rate. Attacks occur from the early stages of planting to the pre-harvest period, causing massive losses. Rat control must be carried out continuously and integrated.

Pest Control and PHT Strategy

In addition to the three pests above, there are other pests. There is walang Sangit (Leptocorisa oratorius) attacking after the flowering phase by sucking the liquid of the rice grain, causing empty grains or dis-coloration.

Then there is the leaf roller (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis) or HPP, which causes damage characterized by white color on the leaves due to caterpillars eating green tissue inside the leaf folds. In fact, losses can exceed 50% in the vegetative phase.

To overcome these various threats, an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategy is needed. IPM combines technical, mechanical, and biological control in a balanced manner.

For example, for the control of rat pests, for example, can be classified as follows:

Manual Control

Cleaning the water channels, removing piles of straw, using natural enemies (such as owls), and installing rice rat. In addition to mice, rice rats can also drive away pest birds.

Mechanical Control

The use of fire-fighting tools on rat holes (requires cooperation from farmers), as well as the use of traps and rat poison in potential routes.

Electrical Control

Covering the use of electric shocks, ultrasonic repellers, and the use of periodically lit light.

Thus, a deep understanding of the main types of pests, from Wereng to Rats, as well as the implementation of the Integrated Pest Management Strategy (PHT) are the keys to the success of rice harvests.

By implementing Integrated Pest Management, you can minimize losses due to rice crop pests and diseases and ensure maximum harvest production.