CROP ROTATIONAL EFFECTS ON INFESTATION OF STEM BORERS IN RICE

Abstract

The present study investigates the impact of crop rotation on the infestation of stem borers in rice crops. This research was carried out in the field at Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Agricultural College Dokri, Sindh, Pakistan. Several rotation practices were tested, including Rice fallow Rice, Rice-Wheat-Rice, Rice-Gram-Rice, Rice-Barseem-Rice, and Rice-Mustard-Rice. The results of the study revealed interesting findings. The lowest infestation rate, approximately 1.92% of rice stem borers, was observed in the Rice-Barseem-Rice rotation. This was followed by Rice-Mustard-Rice at 2.18%, Rice-Gram-Rice at 2.40% and Rice-Wheat-Rice at 3.21%. In contrast, the highest infestation rate, reaching 4.99%, was recorded in the Rice-fallow-Rice rotation system. These findings suggest that incorporating winter rotation crops such as Mustard, Barseem, and Gram into the cropping system can significantly reduce the population density of rice stem borers. On the contrary, mono-cropping, as exemplified by the Rice-fallow-Rice rotation, appears to favor stem borer infestations. In light of these results, it is recommended that further research and understanding be developed to implement cultural control methods and ensure ecological safety within winter crop rotation systems. This study underscores the importance of diversified crop rotation practices in mitigating the infestation of harmful pests like rice stem borers, contributing to sustainable agriculture and higher crop yields.

Keywords

• infestation
• Oryza sativa
• rice
• stem borer