Army worms attack farms in 2 towns in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Millions of army worms have invaded at least 100 hectares of farms in nine villages of Mabini and Agno towns in Pangasinan province, destroying rice plants, an agriculture official said on Wednesday.

Nestor Batalla, assistant provincial agriculturist, said the worms attacked 129 ha of rice fields in the villages of San Juan, Cayungnan, Bangan-oda, Macaboboni and Patar in Agno and about 20 ha in the villages of Caranglaan, Magalong, Caabiangan and Calzada in Mabini.

They also destroyed at least 80 cavans of seed beds in Mabini.

According to the International Rice Research Institute’s (Irri) Knowledge Bank website, an army worm is a caterpillar that attacks rice. “A single army worm egg mass contains hundreds of eggs. Each female lays 800 to 1000 eggs during its lifetime of about one week,” it said.

Batalla said army worms feed on rice by cutting off the leaves and seedlings at the plant’s base.

The provincial government has sent a team of technicians to the two towns to help farmers contain the infestation.

Batalla said some farms were saved after farmers sprayed insecticides. He also advised farmers to clear areas with cogon grasses near their farms. The farms where the army worms were found are rain-fed areas in western Pangasinan, he said.

According to Irri, flooding seed beds is the best defense against army worms.

To control army worms, it recommends the use of ashes in the ditches to make it more difficult for the caterpillars to escape.

Branches must also be placed around fields to give army worms a place to congregate where they are easily collected by hand, it said. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon