THE Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) is monitoring anew a reported rice black bug infestation among farms in the Fourth District of Negros Occidental, particularly in Valladolid, Pontevedra, San Enrique and Bago City.
Senior agriculturist Armando Abaño, crop protection coordinator of OPA, yesterday said they have yet to validate the reports as well as assess the area of affected rice farms.
Abaño said that no crop damage or yield loss were reported so far as most of the farms in these localities have just started planting, and some are still in the land preparation stage.
Last March, almost 181 hectares of rice farms in Negros Occidental were affected by the rice black bug infestation.
OPA had earlier said the pest has infested rice farms in Cadiz City and Pontevedra town, but were latter contained due various mitigation measures conducted like the light trapping operation.
“Changing weather, from dry to rainy and vice versa, has positive effects to the breeding ground of rice black bugs,” Abaño said.
Rice black bugs are farm pest that suck the sap out of the palay plant, and also infest other plants like corn and sugarcane.
Heavy infestation is indicated by the drying up of the plant called “bug burn,” which appears sporadically in rice farms.
Aside from rice black bug, OPA is also verifying reports of armyworm infestation in San Carlos City.
Armyworms are green-striped caterpillar larvae of the adult armyworm moth. A common pest of grass, armyworms also damages corn, beets, beans, clover, flax, millet, and other grains.
The breeding ground for army worms is also developed during rainy season, Abaño said.
“Our monitoring measures continue especially among areas with history of pest infestations to avoid possible huge losses,” he added.
Also, all city and municipal agriculture offices, along with barangay officials and residents, are again urged to activate their respective local protection teams and Bantay Peste Brigades, he added.*