New pest poses threats to rice production in CV
CEBU CITY, April 15 (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture (DA-7) has recently announced that pests are threatening the rice granary in Central Visayas.
An ordinary "lygaeid" bug that feeds on legumes is now the latest pest believed to have been transmitted through irrigation canals. It is half the size of a rice bug, elongated, has a distinct odor with bigger front legs, making it more of a crawler than a flyer.
Said bug is grain-sucking and panicle-eating, making it a potential threat to the vast rice areas of Bohol. It attacks the panicles at its reproductive stage.
The bug has a dirty-brown color and the damage it causes is similar to that of the rice bug which is manifested by brown spots on the grains.
Doctor of Entomology of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Bert Barrion said that what is believed to be a new pest, initially called "rice grain bug", is not really new at all. It used to feed on legumes but has changed its host to rice, he said.
Meanwhile, Bert Castillo, Chief of the Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC), explained that the diversification of host could be caused by the environment and climate change. Since it is a new pest in rice, its biological and ecological management has yet to be observed.
DA is now coordinating with the concerned local government units for the development of a biological protocol to prevent the spread of the pest and implementation of a quick response scheme.
To date, there are 16 hectares reported to have been infected in the municipalities of Valencia, Dimiao, Garcia- Hernandez, and Batuan.
These areas reportedly account for 33 percent of the total irrigated and rain-fed rice areas in Bohol.
Immediate remedy requires spraying the plants with appropriate insecticides and continuous pest management in the affected areas, Castillo added.
Said bug was also reported to have damaged rice farms in Camarines Sur, Masbate, Southern Leyte, Zamboanga Sur, Surigao Norte and Agusan Norte covering almost 200 hectares. (RMN/HFG-PIA7)
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MGB-7 exceeds 2011 target in greening program
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, April 15 (PIA) -- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-7) have exceeded by more than 100 percent their 2011 target of areas to be planted under the National Greening Program (NGP) through nine operating mines and quarries in Central Visayas.
MGB-7 regional director Loreto Alburo said a total of 288.16 hectares out of their 261-hectare target, or equivalent to 110.41 percent, was the bureau's 2011 accomplishment.
The areas were planted with 311,825 agroforestry and native tree species under the NGP by nine operating mines and quarries.
Six mining companies in Cebu had a combined accomplishment of 254.46 hectares or 88.31 percent which were planted with 283,586 seedlings. This is an increase of 90.94 percent out of 311,825 tree species planted last year.
Of the total 288.16 hectares, Carmen Copper Corporation in Toledo City, Cebu planted the most number of seedlings totaling to 207,374 covering 132.39 hectares or 45.94 percent of the entire region’s reforestation effort.
Bohol province has only one operating large scale mining company, Philippine Mining Service Corporation-Bohol Limestone Corporation in Garcia-Hernandez, Bohol. The company planted around 10,239 or 3.28 percent of the regional accomplishment of different types of tree species covering 20 hectares or 6.94 percent.
In Negros Oriental, five hectares were planted with over 8,000 seedlings, while 8.7 hectares were covered with 10,000 seedlings in Siquijor.
Alburo said the strong support and cooperation of the operating mines and quarries in the region to pursue the “green” agenda of President Benigno S. Aquino III and Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Paje is significant as they have the necessary resources for nursery production and seedlings plantation.
“While the mining companies are implementing the NGP, they have continued to sustain the MGB’s mining forest program,” he said.
He added that a total of 1,050.714 hectares were reforested since 2001 within the mining contract area.
“Even before the NGP, tree planting and maintenance through the mining forest program had already been institutionalized and the plantation is being monitored by a multipartite monitoring team along with other environmental programs implemented by the mining companies,” he said.(RMN/HFG-PIA7)