Beware of Rice Pest and Diseases
Farmers are requested to be aware of the increased number of pests and virus diseases that can affect the food crops in the planting season. The reason, in several regencies, which are noted as the rice belt in Central and East Java, recetly have been attacked by pests and virus diseases, that caused huge losses on the rice productivity nationwide.
The topic has been proposed in the National Discussion on the National Rice Production Program held by the rice experts of Faculty of Agriculture (Faperta). Bogor Agricultural University, Friday, 15 July 2011. The faculty member of Department of Plant Protection, Dr. Hermanu Triwidodo, stated that farmers habit to use of fertilizer is the cause of the increased attacks of pests and viruses, especially brown plant hopper, stem borer and crackle.
The rice belts in the 19 regencies in Central and East Java, have been attacked by insect pests, especially the brown plant hopper. This insect pests attack all portions of the rice plant and all stages of plant growt. Although until now the loss can not be calculated exactly, at least based on the field observations they have indicated that the increased attacks have reduced the productivity of rice, even at the national level as those areas are part of the national rice belt, "said Dr. Hermanu.
For this reason, he has suggested farmers to cultivate rice species that is pests and viruses resistant. "Do not cultivate imported hybrid rice because most of them are not pests resistant. Yet, he observed the rice was suffering more and more pests,” he said. In addition farmers also have to pay close attention to Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 1986 on Improving Pest Management, especially on brown plant hopper.
In the field, about 60 percent of farmers applied lots of chemicals that should not be utilized for rice crops. As a result, the poisons were killing the beneficial predator insects, and the pests were able to increase in number, including brown plant hopper, "he said.
Some pesticides that are still being used by farmers for rice crops, but they should be banned for its utilization are pyrethroids and neonikotinoid (a kind of insect venom). A lot of pesticides that are banned for rice crops usually they are available at fertilizer kiosks. The ignorance of farmers and distributors in the use of fertilizer, was the reason why the salesman and the farmers applied pesticides for their rice crop.
Usually farmers are getting panick when their crops are being attacked by pests, therefore they used pesticides in large quantities than they should be inteded, though such pesticides should not be used for rice crops, "said Hermanu. Dr. Hermanu added, currently at least there are 1,700 (one thousand seven hundred) pesticides available and this caused farmers confusing.
In addition, governments should pay close attention to the 2000 rice seeds the government donated, did the farmers really cultivated them and how was the results. During the discussion, participants also observed the government’s aids for puso rice amounted to Rp. 2.6 million to Rp 3.5 million per hectare. Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University, Dr. Ernan Rustiadi, stated that the donation was considered inappropriate. Because, data verification for the damaged areas was difficult, the program was ineffective.
"Probably the present data about 2,000 (two thousand) hectares of damaged areas that were reportedly suffered by pest attacks in reality were several times higher. Yet, the intack lands were reported damaged. Therefore, verification was really difficult job and could not be continued. How about the other damaged land in the previous year? "Ernan said. (Wied).
