Tags: Agribusiness
By Alexander Villafania
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – The Department of Agriculture’s Regional Crop Protection Center recently reported that it has given a temporary identification to a rice bug that is infecting several regions in the country.
The discovered rice bug is named Parominus longulus, which is called by different names across many provinces. However, the DA agency is yet to confirm the identification of the bug affecting Regions 5, 7, 8, and 13.
DA-RCPC Chief Dr. Evangeline de la Trinidad led the team that collected specimens of the newly found bug.
According to the website BugGuide.net P. longulus is part of the family Rhyparochromidae or more widely known as “dirt colored seed bug.” The bug found by the DA showed some similarities to the pictures of P. longulus online.
The bug was first detected in September last year in Camarines Sur. The bugs first infest the rice panicle starting with the milking stage. This causes discoloration in rice grains, which lessens the quality of the grains.
So far, the bug has destroyed at least 100 hectares worth of rice crops in Masbate with damages amounting to nearly 70 percent of the crops’ worth.
The DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry said that among the measures that could control the spread of the infestation includes burning the rice stubbles right after harvesting, cleaning dikes that provide irrigation, and applying green label insecticides early morning or late in the afternoon.
While the infestation remains low, DA Bicol Executive Director Jose Dayao encourages farmers to continue monitoring for the presence of the bugs and to report to the DA the soonest that an infestation is found.
(Photo by Department of Agriculture)
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