Rice farmers urged to follow integrated pest management
The Department of Agriculture 6 is urging farmers to practice integrated pest management in growing their crops.
DA 6 Information Chief Juvy Gaton said that IPM is the best way of preventing pest infestation as it promotes organic farming and proper use of pesticides without damaging crops and beneficial insects.
Presently, Iloilo province is addressing the problem on plant hoppers which has already affected some 18 towns.
Gaton said IPM teaches farmers to be judicious in the use of chemicals and instead look for organic substitutes.
Pesticides and insecticides should be the last resort to control pests, she said, adding that most commercial pesticides kill almost all insects in the field, including beneficial species, such as spiders.
She said that 90 percent of insects in the farms are beneficial, while only 10 percent is harmful to crops such as vegetables, corn and rice.
DA has more than 400 farmer-graduates in their School-On-the-Air on IPM all over the province. These farmers are trained on how to treat rice pests and produce organic fertilizers and pesticides.
Meanwhile, DA 6 has encouraged local government units through their Municipal Agriculture Office to implement synchronized planting of rice and other crops.
Gaton said that synchronous planting allows farmers to harvest simultaneously and keep destructive insects at bay.
DA also reminds LGUs to form their Barangay Pest Volunteer Brigade to monitor and report infestations of insects in their area.
These anti-pest brigades and the MAO are the first line of defense against the spread of pests to other towns, she said.
She also said that an information caravan on pests will soon be held and materials on pest management will be distributed to farmers in Iloilo.*PNA
