Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds

View full fact sheet

Summary

• Widespread distribution. South and Southeast Asia, Oceania. Rice and wild grasses. An important pest.
• Planthoppers suck sap, reducing the number of tillers, panicles, and filled grains. Plants are stunted. Severe infestations, especially from tillering to flowering, cause 'hopperburn'; plants dry out and collapse.
• Infestations start when winged forms arrive, and lay eggs which produce nymphs and wingless adults.
• Cultural control: tolerant varieties; avoid over-lapping crops; crop rotation; remove 'volunteer' plants; split applications of nitrogen fertilizer; avoid ratoon crops; plough in stubble immediately after harvest.
• Chemical control: only use if populations high (1-2 insects per tiller). Check current recommendations as often planthoppers become resistant to insecticides.