Rice Pest in India: The Importance of Brown Planthopper Control
Rice is staple food for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In fact, 50% of the population around the globe obtain majority of their daily caloric intake from rice and its products. Besides that, rice cultivation represents a main source of income for millions of people. India is one of the world's largest producers of rice and brown rice. Rice is grown in over 43 million ha, with productivity of around 2665 kg/ha in 2019.*
Indian rice growers work in difficult conditions, dealing with various challenges during different crop stages. These are mostly related to rice insect pests attacking crops and causing notable damage,...
Of all the rice pests, brown planthopper is one of the major threats rice growers across India deal with. Once it attacks the rice crop, infestation symptoms are so devastating and if not treated, the so-called hopperburn in rice can result in significant economic losses.
Successful brown planthopper control starts with good understanding of the insect biology, life cycle and the impact to the plant.
Brown Planthopper Biology & Life Cycle
The crop is most susceptible to the brown planthopper attack from tillering to flowering. Females start laying eggs in masses in the midrib of the leaf blades, laying between 2 and 11 eggs per mass. The eggs are cylindrical, slightly curved and only 1 mm long. At first, they are white and they get darker when they’re about to hatch, with two spots, which are the eyes of the nymph.
The incubation period lasts from 4 to 8 days. At first, nymphs are creamy white with a pale brown tinge, later becoming dark brown. On emergence, the nymphs start feeding on young leaves, and after moulting 4 to 5 times, they become adults after 2 to 3 weeks. Adults are brownish-black with a yellowish-brown body, and there are two forms, long winged and short winged.
Their lifecycle is completed in 18 to 24 days in the period between June and October, 38 to 44 days between November and January, and 18 to 35 days between February and April.
Brown Planthopper Impact
Both nymphs and adults cause damage to rice crops by sucking cell sap from the leaves, which then turn yellow. Heavy infestation causes plants to dry up and give a burnt appearance, which is why it is called the ‘hopper burn’ – circular yellow patch which can turn brownish.
The brown planthopper population can increase rapidly under favorable conditions with high humidity, optimum temperature, high nitrogen applications and no wind. However, even at low infestation, the tillering is adversely affected, resulting in diminished vigor and decrease in plant height. Besides that, the insect is known to transmit the grassy stunt virus...
How to Control Brown Planthopper?
Depending on population density, brown planthopper can cause significant crop losses. That is why timely management and control of brown planthopper is crucial.
The starting point is identifying the rice insect pest presence:
slightly curved white eggs in the midrib or leaf sheath
white or brown nymphs
adults feeding near the tiller base
Make sure to check the field for common signs of brown planthopper attack:
hopperburn, or yellowing, browning and drying of plants
ovipositional marks exposing the plant to fungal and bacterial infections
honeydew and sooty molds at the bases of infected areas
reduced plant height, growth...
With the right rice crop management programme that starts from the very beginning, in the sowing stage, growers can overcome critical growth stage challenges and secure better brown planthopper control in the reproductive phase.
If flooding the seedbed is not an option and brown planthoppers outnumber their natural enemies, then the insecticide is the right way to go.
Syngenta provides growers with the powerful and effective control against rice insect pest, delivering immediate crop protection.
Why Choose Chess for Brown Planthopper Control in Rice?
Green and Healthy Crop
Chess® is a crop quality enhancer, with excellent crop tolerance and low impact on
