ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING FOR INSECT

PEST MANAGEMENT IN RICE

Evelyn M. Valdez
Crop Protection Division
Philippine Rice Research Institute
Central Experiment Station
RCEF Training of Trainers (TOT) on the Production of High-Quality Inbred Rice and Seeds, and Farm Mechanizaton
PhilRice Social Hall/March 17, 2023
 TOPICS

 Introduction

 Rice planthopper problem in Asia

 Ecological Engineering Activities in Asia

 Research Activities on Ecological

Engineering
Arthropod Community Structure in a
Tropical Rice Ecosystem (by species)

Herbivores 127 (16.6%)

(Phytophages)
Parasitoids 187 (24.47%)

Predators 306 (40.00%)

Detritivores and 145 (18.95%)

plankton feeders
Settle et al., 1996
Ecological Engineering

- an emerging study of integrating Ecology and

Engineering ---- concerned with the design,
monitoring and construction of the ecosystem.

 Goal is the restoration of ecosystems that have

been substantially disturbed by human activities
such as environmental pollution or land disturbance
 Ecological engineering for pest management

 Aim is to build, strengthen and restore ecosystem

services for sustainable pest management.
 Main philosophy is habitat manipulation- planting of
flowering plants as source of nectar and pollen for
parasitoids and other beneficial organisms.
 Involves human activity that modifies the environment
according to ecological principles.
 It considers vegetation diversity playing a central role in
habitat manipulation
(Gurr, Wratten and Altieri, 2004).
 Ecological Engineering

The development of strategies to maximize

ecosystem services through improving
biodiversity to provide refugia, food and
breeding places for predators, parasitoids
and pollinators (LEGATO, 2009).
RICE PLANTHOPPER PROBLEM IN ASIA
 Whitebacked planthopper
(WBPH)
Brown Planthopper (BPH)
 Planthopper outbreaks in Asia in 2009
In Yunnan province WBPH
destroyed crops at young
stages
400,000 ha seriously affected
in 56 counties

Predominantly WBPH on hybrid

rice
New virus disease spreading in
Northern Vietnam, and southern
provinces of China
300,000 ha estimated badly
Started in July 2009, outbreaks still persist in June, 2010 infected
Damaged area > 1 million ha.
Govt revised production forecast by 1.1 m tons 16%
Govt paid US$60 m in compensation to farmers
Govt spent US$20 m in pesticide distribution, campaigns
Virus diseases spread and become endemic and very
wide spread
 Planthopper outbreaks in Asia in 2010
Predominantly WBPH on hybrid
rice. Light trap records tripled in
July. High summer temperatures,
floods. About 140,000 ha
damages by WBPH and new virus

New virus in Japan

Outbreaks in
Philippines

Started in July 2009, outbreaks declined in June, 2010 WBPH and new virus
but now picking up. Light traps in Chainat province was 4 spreading.
folds that of last year. About 50,000 ha damaged
recorded in 4 provinces in August 2010. More damages
by BPH and virus diseases expected

About 2000 ha damaged

in 2010.
 Hopperburn

Philippines Malaysia

Vietnam China

Thailand Bangladesh
Chainat province, Central Thailand
Hopperburn due to planthoppers (BPH &
WBPH). 2012 WS, PhilRice CES
Women spraying a cocktail of insecticides using a hose in the Hainan
Academy of Agricultural Sciences (HAAS) farm.
Photo credit: KL Heong.
 Planthopper problems are
induced by insecticides (Kenmore, 2008)

The rice planthoppers is a man

made plague (Ooi, 2010)

Using insecticides to control

Farmers spraying their rice (Chainat, Thailand) such pests is like “throwing petrol
Photo credit: KL Heong. into fire” – completely
unsustainable (Heong, 2011)
Typically how insecticides applied in SE Asia
• Spraying in
early crop
stages
• Spraying on
top of the
canopy
• Use
equipment
with poor
delivery
K.L. Heong. 2016. Ecological Engineering :A strategy for rice production without neonicotinoids in Asia. Paper presented during the
Science-Policy Forum on Impacts and Alternatives to Systemic Pesticides held at De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines on June
15, 2016.
 Insecticide Resistance

BPMC X19
Imidacloprid X127 X27

X32
X6 X0.9

X59

Fipronil

X33
X2
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
ACTIVITIES IN ASIA
Landscape transformation in many Vietnam provinces
Rice field with sesame on bunds (left) Sesame flower visited by a
bee (inset) (Jinhua, China. 2010 )
Increase in parasitoids in rice field with sesame and no
insecticide use. Jinhua, Zhejiang

Lu et al 2009
Lu et al 2009
Zhongxian Lu. 2022. Vetiver for the control of rice stemborers in China. Paper
presented online last March 1, 2022.
Cai Be, Vietnam. 2010

Bunds with nectar producing flowers that

provide resource to natural enemies
Red River Delta, Vietnam
Abundance of Beneficial organisms
 ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
RESEARCH ACTIVITY AT PHILRICE
 Impact of Palayamanan field on
conservation biological control in
rice and rice-based system

To document the role of Palayamanan as refuge to

beneficial organisms that can provide a sustainable
management of insect pests in surrounding areas
with large rice monoculture.
The higher population of natural
800
enemies in the rice field in 700

Palayamanan was attributed to the 600

Collected (No)
500
proximity of the field in area with 400

high vegetation diversity that 300

includes several kinds of vegetables 200

100
and weeds that serve as source of 0
Parasitoids Predators GLH+WBPH+BPH
food and refugia for these beneficial Arthropods
organisms. 90
80

Palayamanan vegetable field 70

60

Egg parasitism (%)

serve as refugia of beneficial 50

organisms as shown by the number 40

30

of predators and parasitoids recorded 20

and percent parasitism of BPH eggs.

10
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr
Month of Sampling,

Arida et al. 2016

Effect of habitat
manipulation through
vegetation diversity
(planting of flowering
plants as source of
nectar and pollen for
parasitoids and as
refugia for predators) on
the population of insect
pests, beneficial
organisms and insect
damage
Central Experiment
Station, PhilRice
Central Experiment Station, PhilRice)
Effect of vegetation corridor on the arthropod
community structure and species diversity in farmers’
fields

Okra Mung bean (Vigna radiata) Sesame

(Abelmoschus esculentus) and other beans (Sesamum indicum)
Planting of flowering plants near rice
fields to increase vegetation diversity
resulted in an increase in the
population of beneficial organisms in
the rice ecosystem. It also resulted in
the reduction of damage caused by
defoliators and stemborer. Flowering
plants serve as source of food and
breeding places for beneficial
organisms. Therefore, increasing
vegetation diversity by planting
flowering plants near a rice field is an
important approach for pest
management in irrigated rice
ecosystem.
Arida et al. 2015
• Push-Pull Technology

Sobhy et al., 2022

THANK YOU