Plant Protection Bulletin (Taipei) (1999) 41, 9-34
C.H. Cheng and Y.I. Chiu (1999)
[Review of changes involving rice pests and their control measures in Taiwan since 1945]
Plant Protection Bulletin (Taipei) 41 (1), 9-34
Abstract: Since 1945, rice production in Taiwan underwent periods of reconverting, boosting, topmost and declining (or diversion). The most threatening insect pests of rice and their control measures during each period varied greatly according to cultural practices. Although the paddy borer (Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker)) - rice hispa (Hispa similis Uhmann) - rice leafbeetle (Oulema oryzae (Kuwayama)) as well as plant and leafhoppers were the most threatening before 1950, the population of the former two species declined to negligible levels due to a uniform planting period and wide use of insecticides. Changes in cultural practices, such as heavier fertilizer, closer planting and intensive use of insecticides, although markedly increasing grain yield of rice, successively induced problems with the stem borer (Chilo suppressalis (Walker)), rice green leafhoppers (Nephotettix spp.), brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens (Stal)), whorl maggot (Hydrellia philippina Ferino), rice leaffolder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenée)), rice tarsonemid mite (Steneotarsonemus spinki Smiley) and smaller brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus (Fallen)). Among those, the abundance of the brown planthopper and rice leaffolder, commonly known as long-distance migratory insect pests, were also influenced by their migration from overseas neighboring rice areas. In addition, the apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck)) and the rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel) which invaded Taiwan in 1982 and 1990, respectively, impacted rice production to a certain extent. To combat these insect pests, most investigations from 1950 to 1970 focused on the efficiency of chemical control. Over-use of insecticides resulted in resistance and resurgence of insect pests. Therefore, a series of studies have been conducted since 1970 to initiate integrated insect pest management approaches, including varietal resistance, sampling techniques, economic threshold , timing of chemical application and forecasting of major insect pests. Consequently, insecticide applications declined over 50% either owing to economic threshold and timing, or cultivated rice resistance to major insect pests. Insecticide applications further declined to 1 or 2 times in a cropping season in the 1990's due to enhanced stability of the crop environment. The article describes not only possible factors causing population changes of major rice insect pests, but also the progress in control measures for these insect pests since 1945 in Taiwan.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
(original language: Chinese)
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
damage/losses/economics
