[enviro-vlc] Virus & fungus diseases, rice - Cambodia

[Vern Weitzel]

Subject: PRO/MBDS> Virus & fungus diseases, rice - Cambodia
Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 13:49:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: PRO/MBDS <promed-mbds at promed.isid.harvard.edu>
Reply-To: promedNOREPLY at promed.isid.harvard.edu
To: promed-mbds at promedmail.org

VIRUS AND FUNGUS DISEASES, RICE - CAMBODIA
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Date: Thu 6 Aug 2009
Source: The Phnom Penh Post [edited]
<http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009080627598/National-news/planthoppers-ravage-rice.html>


'Planthoppers' ravage rice
--------------------------
Pests have ravaged about 4500 hectares [11 120 acres] of rice crops
in 4 provinces near the Cambodian-Vietnamese border, agriculture
officials said on Wednesday [5 Aug 2009].

Rithi Kun, deputy director of the Agriculture Department at the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said Wednesday [5
Aug 2009] that brown "planthoppers," small pests that eat rice
seedlings and thrive during the rainy season, have infested thousands
of hectares of paddies in Svay Rieng, Prey Veng, Kandal, and Takeo provinces.

Rithi Kun said his department was conducting extensive outreach
efforts in the affected provinces to contain the problem. "We are
working to educate farmers about how to disperse the brown
planthoppers from their rice fields," he said.

The ministry is also offering payment to farmers who catch the
planthoppers, thus preventing them from spreading to neighbouring
farms. Farmers earn USD 1.20 for every 10 kilograms of planthoppers
they bring to their provincial agriculture office, said Thach Ratana,
director of the agriculture department in Svay Rieng province.

Ngik Sron, director of the Department of Agriculture in Takeo
province, said the brown planthopper population has flourished as
farmers rely increasingly on chemical fertilisers and pesticides,
which kill many of the planthoppers' natural predators.

[Byline: Khouth Sophak Chakrya, Tha Piseth]

--
Communicated by:
PRO/MBDS
<promed-mbds at promedmail.org>

[The brown planthopper (BPH), also known as whitebacked planthopper
(WBPH), transmits the _Rice ragged stunt virus_ (RRSV) and _Rice
grassy stunt virus_ (RGSV). It causes hopperburn, the complete drying
of the plants, and ovipositional marks exposing the plant to fungal
and bacterial infections.

Planthoppers are commonly found in rainfed and irrigated wetland
environments during the reproductive stage of the rice plant. The
growth of planthoppers is favored by excess nitrogen levels and close
plant spacing. Outbreaks of planthoppers are associated with
insecticide misuse, especially during the early crop stages. These
insecticide sprays, usually directed at leaf feeding insects, disrupt
the natural biological control, which favors the development of
planthoppers as secondary pests.

More detailed information on rice planthoppers is available from the
Rice Knowledge Bank at
<http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/RiceDoctor/Fact_Sheets/Pests/Planthopper.htm>.
A photo of brown planthoppers is available at
<http://bphest.dna.affrc.go.jp/images/tobiirounka.jpg>.

During August 2008, a severe infestation of brown planthoppers also
occurred in rice paddies in 3 provinces of Cambodia bordering with
Viet Nam -- Takeo, Svay Rieng, and Prey Veng (see prior PRO/MBDS
posting Virus & fungus diseases, rice - Cambodia 20080823.2623).

Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Thai Binh, and Bac Ninh provinces of Viet Nam
detected an infestation of small brown planthoppers during June 2009.
In addition, a new planthopper, known as _Laodelphax striatellus_,
was found densely scattered over the rice fields (see prior PRO/MBDS
posting Virus & fungus diseases, rice - Viet Nam (03) 20090609.2133).

For a map of Cambodia, see
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/cambodia_pol_97.jpg>.
For the interactive HealthMap/ProMED-mail map with links to other
recent PRO/MBDS and ProMED-mail postings in Cambodia and neighboring
countries, see <http://healthmap.org/r/00ul>. - Mod.YMA]

[see also:
Virus & fungus diseases, rice - Viet Nam (03) 20090609.2133
Virus & fungus diseases, rice - Viet Nam (02) 20090422.1508
Virus & fungus diseases, rice - Viet Nam: alert 20090116.0177
2008
----
Virus & fungus diseases, rice - Cambodia 20080823.2623
Virus & fungus diseases, rice - Viet Nam (03) 20081015.3265
Virus & fungus diseases, rice - Viet Nam (02) 20080714.2140
Virus & fungus diseases, rice - Viet Nam 20080201.0402]
...................................yma/mj/mpp

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