150 hectares of palay farms ravaged by ‘ulmog’ in Cagayan town
TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — More than 150 hectares of rice fields in Ballesteros town, Cagayan were ravaged by “ulmog” or brown planthopper this month, the local government said in a statement.
Ballesteros agriculture officials said “there is a risk of a major reduction or loss of rice yield in the town if the destruction of palay farms persist.
The pest attack comes as farmers are beginning to suffer from what promises to be severe drought ahead.
READ: Brown planthoppers ravage rice fields in Cagayan Valley
The insect pests eat and consume the sap of rice plants, which usually causes the drying and death of the plants “as they move from one rice field to another and are spreading rapidly,” municipal agriculturist Roderick Lazo said.
More than 170 affected farmers have been reported as the local government ordered insecticides to be sprayed on more than 30 hectares of rice fields.
Extensive pest attacks have been reported in the villages of Fugu, Mabuttal East, Mabuttal West, Baran and San Juan.
Ballesteros Mayor Robert Ogalino ordered immediate actions by the Municipal Agriculture Office to affected rice fields to prevent the rapid spread of the pest attack.
Lazo advised farmers to inform if “ulmog” will further attack so that immediate solutions can be given such as further spraying insecticides on the pests.
If the rice is harvestable, it is better to harvest it immediately before the “ulmog” completely consume it, Lazo added.
Lazo added that it has been years since the last attack by ulmog in the rice fields of Ballesteros.
He advised farmers to protect their crops by registering for insurance with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.
The brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) has been a major pest in rice farms, sucking the sap from the base of the plant, often causing “hopper burn” or the rapid browning and drying of rice fields.
Nymphs and adults gather at the base of the rice plant just above the water level, causing circular yellow patches that turn brown through hopper burn. /das
