Molecular Microbiology Research 2024, Vol.14, No.2, 92-98 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mmr 93 2 Types and effects of rice pests 2.1 Major pest species Rice crops are susceptible to a variety of pests, among which stem borers, leafhoppers, and planthoppers are particularly detrimental. These pests not only cause direct damage to the plants but also act as vectors for disease, further exacerbating their impact on rice cultivation. Stem borers are a group of insects whose larvae bore into the stems of rice plants, causing dead hearts and whiteheads which lead to significant yield losses. Leafhoppers and planthoppers, on the other hand, are sap-sucking insects that can cause damage through feeding and also by transmitting viruses such as the rice ragged stunt virus and rice grassy stunt virus (Vega et al., 2009; Peng et al., 2020; Wakil et al., 2021). The life cycles and behaviors of these pests are closely linked to environmental conditions, and understanding these factors is crucial for developing effective control strategies. 1.2 Impact on crop yields and quality The presence of pests like stem borers, leafhoppers, and planthoppers can lead to substantial quantitative and qualitative impacts on rice crops. Infestations can result in yield losses due to reduced grain filling and increased rates of unfilled or partially filled grains (Budiarti and Nuryanti, 2022). Moreover, the quality of the rice grains can be compromised, affecting marketability and price. Economic repercussions of pest infestations are significant, as they can lead to increased costs for pest management and reduced income due to lower yields and quality (Figure 1). The use of chemical pesticides has been the traditional method for controlling these pests, but concerns over environmental and human health impacts have led to a search for alternative strategies, such as the use of entomopathogenic fungi (Wakil et al., 2021). Figure 1 Assessment of pest control service (Adopted from Ali et al., 2023) Image caption: (a) Depiction of experimental design within each field; (b) Photo of an example field site showing caged and uncaged plots; (c) Sampling with a sweep net showing the abundance of ladybird beetles and other insects, (d) Example of caged plot at rice maturity stage; (e) With caged removed to show extent of damage. The figure was prepared using MS PowerPoint software and pictures were taken by MP Ali and MMK Kabir from experimental fields (Adopted from Ali et al., 2023)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==