ARMYWORMS RAVAGE RICE, CORN FARMS IN ISABELA
CITY OF ILAGAN—At least 138 hectares of farm lands planted with rice and corn have been destroyed by pests in at least three localities in Isabela province since April, officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Friday.
Fall armyworms (FAWs) have been wreaking havoc on farms in this city and in Reina Mercedes town, affecting more than 125 ha of rice and corn plantations, according to Nellie Dadufalza, science specialist at the Regional Crop Protection Center of the DA in Cagayan Valley.
FAWs (Spodoptera frugiperda) are highly destructive transboundary moths that feed on corn, sorghum, rice, millet, sugarcane, cotton, potatoes and other crops. The pests can fly long distances, hatching 200 eggs at a time, according to the DA.
Infestations of brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) and rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe grisea) have also been reported in San Agustin town since April, ravaging at least 13 ha of rice fields, Dadufalza told the Inquirer on Friday.
Brown planthopper is a sucking insect that causes rice plants to wilt, while rice blast is a fungal disease affecting rice plants at different growth stages.
DA officials have yet to estimate the cost of damage to the crops.
Dadufalza said the DA had already intensified its information drive and provided farmers with technical assistance to help them manage or control the spread of the pests, which can damage 50 percent to 80 percent of an entire rice or cornfield.
Experts have also asked farmers to spray insecticides and apply biocontrol agents to avoid the massive destruction of their crops.