Integrated management of African rice gall midge (AfRGM) (<i>Orseolia oryzivora,</i> Harris and gagné), weeds and diseases of lowland rice

Abstract

Studies were conducted during the 2001 and 2002 cropping years at Edozhigi and Sachi in the Southern Guinea Savannah of Nigeria to study the effect of following rice with another crop on the next rice crop. There were twelve treatments consisting of poor, good and excellent weed management and pesticidal applications against (AfRGM and diseases set up in a randomized complete block design, in twelve plots in 3 replicates. Results showed that rice treated with gramular isazofos at 0.75 kg a.i. ha –1 and benomyl at 1.0 kg/ha at 20 and 40 days after transplanting (DAT), with good weed management and a follow up crop after rice reduced AfRGM occurrence and disease incidence with a consequent increase in yield of the next rice crop. In 2001 infestation of rice by ARGM was more at Sachi than Edozhigi, while in 2002 there was low ARGM occurrence at the two locations. Brown leaf spot was high at the two locations in the two years of the trial while leaf blast was checked by the integrated control methods used in the study. Higher yields were (1.7 - 11.9 t·ha) from treated-well weeded plots that were cropped to cowpea after the 2001 rice harvest Ludwigia decurens, Sphanoclea geylanica Cyperus difformis and Lepllocidia chinensis were the widely occurring weed species at Edozhigi site while Cyperus difformis, Ipomea mvolucrata, F. awuata and Firnbristylis litoralis were weed species prevalent at Sachi site. The rice nematode, hirschmanniella sp. was recorded at the Sachi site along with other nematodes but was absent at the Edozhigi site. The net benefit farmers would derive for following this rice-dry-season crop sequence vary from US$ 172 - 427 and US$ 175 - 265 ha –1 at Sachi and Edozhigi respectively.