The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has released an update on the incidence of diseases and pests in mid- to late-season rice, urging vigilance to prevent localized outbreaks in fields where pest control has been neglected.

Release Date:

2019-09-21

　At present, mid-season rice in South China and the Jiangnan region is ripening, while late-season rice is in the tillering to booting stage. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Jianghuai area, single-cropping rice is at the heading to grain-filling stage, whereas in Southwest and Northeast China, it is in the grain-filling to milky-ripe stage. Overall, rice pests and diseases are at a moderate level (Level 3), with brown planthopper, stem borer, and sheath blight occurring at a moderate level (Level 3), rice leafroller at a light-to-moderate level (Levels 2–3), and blast disease at a light level (Level 2). Compared with the same period last year, brown planthopper and blast disease are more severe, rice leafroller and stem borer remain at similar levels, and sheath blight is less severe. According to statistics, the current nationwide area affected by rice pests and diseases totals 348 million mu‑times, down 0.7% year on year. In the next phase, with mild temperatures and limited rainfall in southern rice-growing regions, the spread of rice diseases is expected to slow, while pest damage is likely to intensify further. Particular vigilance is required regarding the risk of outbreaks in localized fields where brown planthopper control has been neglected in South China and the Jiangnan region’s mid- to late-season rice areas.

　　Rice planthopper
　　In the southern rice-growing regions, brown planthoppers are generally at a moderate level of occurrence (level 3), with localized areas in the Jiangnan region experiencing heavier infestations (level 4), exceeding last year’s levels. The current affected area totals 89.39 million mu, up 3.7% year on year. Since late August, relatively small peak trapping events have been observed in the Jiangnan region, the northeastern parts of Southwest China, and northern South China, though overall trap catches remain lower than the same period last year. According to monitoring data from 250 regional stations nationwide, the average daily catch per light trap for brown planthoppers stands at 35 individuals, a 28.6% decrease compared with the same period last year. Among these, the brown planthopper accounts for 25 individuals per trap per day, representing 71.4% of the total, an increase of 16 percentage points over the previous year. At present, brown planthopper dynamics are characterized by “overall stability with sporadic, localized outbreaks.” In South China, the mid-season rice areas of Jiangnan, and the single‑cropping rice regions of Southwest China, fields where control measures have been effective generally keep pest populations below the threshold for intervention, with densities typically ranging from 450 to 900 insects per 100 tillers. However, in some poorly managed or inadequately treated plots, densities can reach 1,500 to 3,000 insects per 100 tillers; in certain severely affected fields in Xiangtan, Hunan; Taihe, Jiangxi; and Kaihua, Longyou, and Jiangshan, Zhejiang, counts have exceeded 10,000 insects per 100 tillers, and instances of small‑area “breakthroughs” are on the rise. In the double‑cropping late‑rice areas of South China and Jiangnan, brown planthopper populations continue to climb, with densities generally between 150 and 500 insects per 100 tillers, and in some cases reaching 1,000 to 2,000. In Suichang, Jiangxi, individual plots have reported as high as 2,800 insects per 100 tillers. In the single‑cropping rice regions of the middle and lower Yangtze River basin, densities typically range from 100 to 500 insects per 100 tillers, with higher levels of 700 to 1,000. In parts of Anhui along the Yangtze and in the southwestern region, poorly managed or inadequately controlled fields have seen densities soaring to 5,000–16,000 insects per 100 tillers, with isolated cases exceeding 20,000. In some neglected fields in southern Anhui, population levels have already “broken through” established thresholds.
　　Rice leafroller
　　The rice leafroller is generally expected to occur at a light to moderate level (grades 2–3) across southern rice-growing regions, roughly on par with the same period last year. The current affected area stands at 74.77 million mu, up 0.5% year on year. Since late August, no distinct moth peak has been observed in the fields; in late‑rice areas of South China and the Jiangnan region, moth densities typically range from 40 to 200 per mu, with slightly higher levels—600 to 1,000 per mu—in Jiangxi, and a record high of nearly 5,000 per mu in Yifeng County. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the single‑cropping rice zones of the Jianghuai region, moth populations have been steadily declining, with densities generally below 100 per mu; along the Yangtze and Huai Rivers in Anhui and along the Yangtze in southern Jiangsu, densities can reach 100 to 400 per mu, while Fengtai County in Anhui reported a peak of 895 per mu. At present, thanks to effective control measures, larval densities in late‑rice fields across South China and the Jiangnan region generally range from 200 to 2,500 per mu, with some localized outbreaks in Shaodong and Suxian Counties in Hunan exceeding 5,000 per mu. Leaf‑rolling rates are typically between 0.1% and 3%, with isolated cases as high as 5.1% to 7.8%; in Wanning and Lingshui Counties in Hainan, certain plots have recorded rates as high as 35%. In the middle and lower Yangtze and the Jianghuai single‑cropping rice areas, larval densities generally hover around 80 to 200 per mu, though in poorly managed fields in Huangzhou, Hubei, they have spiked as high as 7,200 per mu. Leaf‑rolling rates remain below 1% overall, but in some neglected plots in Chibi, Hubei, they have climbed as high as 57%.
　　Two-brooded stem borer
　　The rice stem borer is at a moderate level of occurrence (Level 3) in the late‑rice areas of southern Jiangnan, with locally heavier infestations (Level 4) in parts of central and southern Hunan and eastern Hunan, comparable to the same period last year. The current affected area totals 56.36 million mu, down 10.8% year on year. In the late‑rice regions of southern Jiangnan, larval densities generally range from 300 to 4,500 per mu; in Anxiang, Shaodong, Longhui, and Youxian counties in Hunan, densities exceed 5,000 per mu, with Changning City reaching 10,063 per mu, and some severely infested fields surpassing 20,000 per mu. Field damage results in a deadheart rate of 0.3%–1.4%, with higher rates of 3%–6.4%; the percentage of tillers with dead sheaths typically ranges from 3% to 8.5%, rising to 16%–40%, and in localized areas of Zhangshu, Jiangxi, it can reach as high as 60%.
　　Sheath blight
　　Sheath blight is occurring at a moderate level (grade 3) across major rice‑producing regions, less severe than during the same period last year. The current affected area totals 105.26 million mu, down 2.5% year on year. In South China and the Jiangnan region, late‑season rice sheath blight is in the vertical expansion phase, with disease incidence ranging from 2% to 8% per plant—peaking at 10% to 21%—and disease‑infested tiller rates generally between 6% and 27%, reaching as high as 30% to 50%, with Anfu in Jiangxi reporting a peak of 96%. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, where single‑cropping rice is grown, the overall disease situation has stabilized, though localized outbreaks in Zhejiang are rising rapidly. Disease incidence per plant typically ranges from 5% to 10%, with higher levels of 15% to 30%; disease‑infested tiller rates generally fall between 10% and 35%, climbing to 40% to 70%, with some poorly managed fields in Haining, Zhejiang, and Zengdu, Hubei, showing infection rates as high as 100%.
　　Rice blast disease
　　Rice blast incidence was generally mild overall (level 2), with southern rice-growing areas experiencing lighter pressure than last year and northern areas facing heavier pressure. Specifically, leaf blast has currently affected 13.27 million mu, up 10.7% year on year; panicle neck blast has spread to 4.56 million mu, an increase of 44.3% compared with the same period last year, with the majority of the additional area concentrated in the Northeast rice region. According to local monitoring, in the late‑rice growing areas of South China and the Yangtze River Basin, the disease‑leaf rate typically ranges from 0.1% to 8%, with higher rates reaching 12% to 26%. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, where single‑crop late rice is grown, rice blast occurs sporadically, with disease‑leaf rates generally between 0.2% and 5%; in Hong’an County, Hubei, uncontrolled fields have reported rates as high as 11.8%. Panicle neck blast is progressively manifesting, with diseased panicle rates ranging from 0.1% to 2.3%; in Zhushan County, Hubei, poorly managed fields have recorded rates as high as 11.3%. In the Northeast rice region, panicle neck blast has begun to appear extensively, with a severity markedly greater than last year; in Heilongjiang, the average diseased‑panicle rate stands at 2.61%, with the most severely affected plots reaching 90.5%. Statistics show that in Heilongjiang, 13,000 mu exhibit losses exceeding 70%, 39,100 mu suffer losses between 30% and 70%, and 114,900 mu experience losses of 5% to 30%, accounting for 1.09%, 4.33%, and 12.71% of the total affected area, respectively.
　　Trend in the next phase
　　According to the National Meteorological Center, the rice-growing regions of southern China are expected to see no significant rainfall over the next 10 days. Meanwhile, parts of the Jiangnan and South China areas will continue to experience high temperatures exceeding 35°C, which could adversely affect rice diseases such as blast and sheath blight. However, the persistently warm autumn weather will favor the reproduction and proliferation of rice planthoppers. In particular, in the double-cropping late‑rice areas of South China and Jiangnan, with one to two generations still to go before harvest, there is a risk of localized outbreaks that could escalate into full‑scale infestations. All localities must attach great importance to this situation, tailor their measures to local conditions, and carry out thorough monitoring and timely control. As long as the autumn grain harvest remains unsecured, vigilance in prevention and control must remain unwavering, with every effort directed toward ensuring a bountiful autumn harvest.

Source: National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center Editor: bianji2

Tags:

Jiangsu plans to close nine chemical industrial parks, shut down 1,431 chemical enterprises, and upgrade or rectify 4,022 others.

Breaking news: Manufacturers and sellers of substandard fertilizers and pesticides will be held liable for soil contamination!

More information

The National Agricultural Technology Extension Center has issued guidelines on “one spray, three protections” for wheat to address the heightened risk of recurrence of diseases such as Fusarium head blight, stripe rust, and aphids.

2026-04-10

The petrochemical and chemical industries comprise more than 27,000 large-scale enterprises—efforts to upgrade and retrofit aging facilities are being further intensified.

2026-04-06

In 2026, corn borer, cotton bollworm, and ear rot—among other corn pests and diseases—are expected to occur at a relatively severe level. The National Agricultural Technology Center has issued a control plan!

2026-04-02

Address: