Cultural Practices and Resistant Varieties in Rice IPM Introduction Insect pests bottlenecks in the production of crops inflicting on an average about 30% yield loss. There is thus ample scope to enhance our food production by curtailing losses due to pests. Pesticides have of course played a commendable role in increasing our food production and protecting us against disease vectors. However sole reliance on pesticides has created several problems. Planthopper damaged crop

This prompted scientists to look for safer and environment friendly methods of pest control and consequently concept of pest management came in to being. In IPM different methods of pest control such as resistant varieties, cultural methods, physical methods, natural enemies and pesticides are integrated to suppress pest population without jeopardizing other components of the environment. IPM Concept

Cultural practices Routine agronomic practices, such as tillage, sowing time, nutrient & water management, clean cultivation, method & time of harvesting, with slight modification can be used to reduce pest pressure without any extra expenditure. Flooding of fields

Tillage Deep summer ploughing exposes soil inhabiting pests to sun and predators. Likewise, raking field bunds destroys egg pods of grasshoppers. Formation of alleways to improve aeration and sunlight in field facilitates planthopper management. Deep summer ploughing

Clean cultivation Removal of weeds and excess nurseries reduces incidence of borers, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, gall midge, leaf folder. Removal of Echinochloa from field and bunds brings down gundhi bug population. Echinochloa weed

Sowing Prepone or postpone planting dates depending upon the incidence of pests in an area. Synchronous planting reduces gundhi bug incidence. Similarly early sowing proves useful in managing gallmidge, leaf folder, gundhi bug and planthoppers. Gundhi bug adult

Nutrient and water management Judicious use of nitrogenous fertilizers with emphasis of balanced fertilizer application reduces incidence of planthoppers and leaf folder. Alternate wetting and drying rather than continuous flooding lowers incidence of planthoppers. On the other hand, flooding of rice fields reduces losses due to armyworms. Healthy crop

Trap crop Planting 10% area under a susceptible rice cultivar under with nitrogen application proves effective in attracting first brood of pests and its subsequent destruction reduces pest pressure on the main crop. Harvesting Harvesting at ground level and destruction of stubbles helps to destroy overwintering yellow stem borer larvae thereby reducing its incidence in ensuing crop season. Stem borer damage Stem borer larva

Resistant Varieties Preference should be given to cultivation of resistant varieties as they greatly reduce need for other control measures. Resistant cultivar also enhance activity of natural enemy of pests thereby aiding in biological control of pests. These are also compatible with cultural practices and pesticides. Susceptible and resistant varieties

Some of the Resistant varieties Gall midge: Abhaya, Asha, Dhanya Lakshmi, Divya, Karna, Kakatiya, Lalat, Mahaveera, Phalguna, Pratap, Rajendradhan 202, Ruchi, Sarsa, Shakti, Surekha, Usha, Vikram Stem borer: Aaket, Deepti, Pajyur, Ratna, Sasyasree, Vikas Susceptible and resistant varieties

White-backed planthopper (WBPH): HKR120, HKR126 Brown planthopper (BPH): Aruna, Bhadra, Chaitanya, Chandana, jyoti, Krishnaveni, Manasarovar, Nagarjuna, Pratibha, Remya, Sonasali White-backed planthopper (WBPH): HKR120, HKR126 Green leafhopper (GLH): IR20, Lalat, Nidhi, Viramarya, Vani BPH on plant stems

Let’s Sum up Routine agronomic practices with slight modification can be used to reduce pest pressure without any extra expenditure. Deep summer ploughing exposes soil inhabiting pests to sun and predators and removal of weeds also reduces pest incidence. Formation of alleyways to improve aeration and sunlight in field facilitates planthopper management. Judicious use of nitrogenous fertilizers with emphasis of balanced fertilizer application reduces incidence of planthoppers and leaf folder. Harvesting at ground level and destruction of stubbles helps to destroy overwintering yellow stem borer larvae. Preference should be given to cultivation of resistant varieties as they greatly reduce need for other control measures. Resistant cultivar enhance activity of natural enemy of pests and are also compatible with cultural practices and pesticides.