The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has released an update on the incidence of diseases and pests in mid- to late-season rice, warning that pest outbreaks could escalate into full-blown infestations in areas where control measures have 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 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 pest‑attracting peaks have been recorded 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, down 28.6% 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 densities below the threshold for intervention, with 450–900 insects per 100 tillers. However, in some poorly managed or inadequately treated plots, populations range from 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, 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, typically ranging from 150 to 500 insects per 100 tillers, with higher densities reaching 1,000–2,000. 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 generally hover between 100 and 500 insects per 100 tillers, with some higher‑density areas registering 700–1,000. In Anhui along the Yangtze and in parts of Southwest China, poorly managed or inadequately controlled fields have seen densities as high as 5,000–16,000 insects per 100 tillers, with isolated cases exceeding 20,000. In southern Anhui, a few neglected plots have already experienced “breakthroughs.”
　　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 recorded a peak of 895 per mu. At present, thanks to effective control measures, larval densities in late‑rice fields across South China and Jiangnan generally range from 200 to 2,500 per mu, with some areas in Shaodong and Suxian Counties, Hunan, exceeding 5,000 per mu. Leaf‑rolling rates are typically between 0.1% and 3%, with localized peaks of 5.1% to 7.8%; in Wanning and Lingshui Counties, Hainan, certain plots have reported rates as high as 35%. In the middle and lower Yangtze and the single‑cropping rice zones of the Jianghuai region, larval densities generally fall within 80 to 200 per mu, though in poorly managed fields in Huangzhou, Hubei, they have spiked to 7,200 per mu; leaf‑rolling rates remain below 1% overall, except in isolated, inadequately treated fields in Chibi, Hubei, where rates have reached 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 eastern Hunan, approaching the levels of 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 dead‑heart rate of 0.3%–1.4%, with higher rates of 3%–6.4%; dead‑sheath incidence typically ranges from 3% to 8.5%, peaking at 16%–40%, and in localized areas of Zhangshu, Jiangxi, it has reached as high as 60%.
　　Sheath blight
　　Sheath blight is occurring at a moderate level (grade 3) in the 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 is in the vertical expansion phase of sheath blight; the incidence of diseased plants generally ranges from 2% to 8%, with higher rates of 10% to 21%; the incidence of diseased tillers typically falls between 6% and 27%, reaching 30% to 50% in some cases, with Anfu in Jiangxi reporting as high as 96%. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, where single‑crop rice is grown, the disease situation has generally stabilized, though localized outbreaks are rising rapidly in Zhejiang. The incidence of diseased plants there generally stands at 5% to 10%, with peaks of 15% to 30%; the incidence of diseased tillers is usually 10% to 35%, climbing to 40% to 70% in some areas, with isolated, 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 the southern rice‑growing region experiencing lighter pressure than last year and the northern region heavier. 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‑growing region. According to local monitoring, in the late‑rice 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 in affected fields generally between 0.2% and 5%; in Hong’an County, Hubei, uncontrolled fields have reached as high as 11.8%. Panicle neck blast is progressively manifesting, with diseased panicles accounting for 0.1% to 2.3% of the total in affected fields; in Zhushan County, Hubei, uncontrolled plots have reported rates as high as 11.3%. In the Northeast rice‑growing region, panicle neck blast has begun to appear extensively, with severity markedly greater than last year: in Heilongjiang, the average rate of diseased panicles stands at 2.61%, with the most severely affected fields showing rates as high as 90.5%. Statistics indicate that in Heilongjiang, areas with yield losses exceeding 70% cover 13,000 mu, those with losses between 30% and 70% span 39,100 mu, and those with losses ranging from 5% to 30% account for 114,900 mu—representing 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 remains unharvested, vigilance in prevention and control must remain unwavering”—to do everything possible to secure a bountiful autumn harvest.

Source: National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center Editor: bianji2

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