Light trapping operations vs. rice black bug to continue
Governor Niel Tupas, Sr. is positive the rice black bug (locally known as bakuko) infestation in several Iloilo towns would be controlled soon.
In his regular Monday press conference the governor reported that the light trapping operations conducted by the province's agricultural technicians on April 10 to 12 had been successful.
He said in Ajuy town the technicians were able to catch seven sacks of rice black bug during the operations.
San Dionisio, Sara and Concepcion towns yielded one sack each, said the governor. While a container of rice black bug were caught in Brgy. Tiguib, Dingle.
Light trapping operations were also made in Balasan, Lambunao and Leon but it yielded negative result.
Tupas said aside from light trapping operations agricultural technicians would also employ metarryzon dispersal in fungus which is found effective against the pest.
The light trapping operations however would continue until the Department of Agriculture (DA) declares that the rice black bug are totally eradicated, Tupas said.
Provincial Agriculturist Zafiro Palabrica said the rice black bug affected a total of one hectare rice plantations in the province.
He is confident that with the ongoing light trapping and metarryzon operations the infestation will be completely controlled.
Palabrica said similar solutions were employed in Palawan, Mindanao and Negros Occidental in previous years when rice black bug infestation occurred in said areas.
The provincial agriculturist noted that the infestation in said areas was even much wider compared to what is being experienced in Iloilo now.
To note, the DA central office allocated P2 million budget to fight off the rice black bug in the province of Iloilo which is considered a rice granary in the country.
The provincial government for its part allocated a funding of P200,000 for the anti-black bug operations.
Palabrica said all the 28 provincial agricultural technicians had been recalled to the Office of the Governor to focus on eradicating rice black bug.
Palabrica added, the DA is also planning to put up a metarryzon laboratory in Pototan, Iloilo soon. He said the DA officials had already conducted feasibility studies for the project.
Palabrica said ongoing trainings are also being conducted among farmers in affected towns to make them aware of the nature of the pest and how to control them.
Light trapping is a common method of controlling the rice black bug infestation.
According to DA specialists, the rice black bug is attracted to light during the height of the lunar cycle or nearing the full moon. Three days before full moon to three days after are considered the best time to conduct light trapping operations.