Pesticides are harming rice

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) called on farmers to limit the use of pesticides in rice fields because they destroy the natural enemies of the most feared pest, rice-eating insects in Asia.

In the 'Green Revolution' in the 1970s, the event helped millions of Asians escape poverty by using pesticides in rice fields, farmers used extensive pesticides to kill the animals. Harmful to rice. But now IRRI believes that farmers need to adopt more environmentally friendly farming practices, AFP reported.

A series of IRRI studies show that the presence of pesticides along with poor ecological diversity in the fields makes the number of insect-hunting insects and spiders, an insect that is harmful to rice at Asia, plummeted.

'To prevent the outbreak of aphids, we have to increase the number of their enemies in nature and reduce the amount of pesticides in the field,' IRRI said.

Farmers should also diversify rice varieties in Asia, the world's major rice production and consumption region.

Cultivating three rice crops per year or just planting a rice variety in the field for a long period of time can facilitate hoppers to adapt to their surroundings and increase their size, IRRI said.

With the support of IRRI, Thailand has banned the use of abamectin and cypermethrin - two pesticides for rice - three months ago. Thai officials affirmed that widespread and improper use of insecticides caused the number of hoppers to skyrocket.

Vietnam has started planting flowers near rice fields in An Giang province since March to feed hog-hunting animals, IRRI said.

'We need to review the pest management strategies. Farmers should not only think about dealing with current outbreaks of hoppers, but also to prevent and manage them effectively in the future, ' said Bas Bouman, head of the environmental division. IRRI, comment.