Rice stem borer species in Tanzania: a review

Abstract

Rice is an important cereal crop and is cultivated virtually in all agro-ecological zones in Tanzania. However, production capacity is far below the national requirement. One of the major reasons for the low yields of rice in Tanzania is damage by insect pests, particularly rice stem borers. Four rice stem borer species reported to infest rice crop in Tanzania includes the white stem borer, Maliarpha seperatella Ragonot, African pink borer, Sesamia calamistis Hamson, spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus Swinhoe and stalk-eyed fly, Diopsis thoracica Westwood. Inappropriately, the potential for proper management of these stem borers to enhance yield has not been fully realized due to limited information available for the respective stem borer species. Proper management of rice stem borers, therefore, is a prerequisite for enhanced and sustainable rice production among smallholder farmers that epitomize the rice production industry in Tanzania. In this review, rice stem borers were reviewed with emphasis on occurrence and distribution, nature of damage, biology and life cycle, host plant and management options.

Susceptibility of ten rice brands to weevil, Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and their influence on the insect and infestation rate

“…As a result, several workers have examined the activities of S . oryzae on stored rice recording varying levels of economic importance as a consequence of infestation (Ashamo 2005 ; Kamara et al 2014 ; January et al 2020 ). The emergence of rice weevil adults, grain weight loss and presence of frass in all the rice brands investigated shows that none of the brands is resistant to infestation and damage by S .…”

“…Rice, Oryzae sativa L. (Poaceae), is one of the most widely grown cereals with high global recognition and food value (January et al 2020 ). Rice grain serves as staple for more than 60% of the world’s population, and it nourishes the human body with protein, carbohydrate, fiber, minerals and vitamins (Ashamo 2005 ; Akhtar et al 2015 ; Da Silva Costa et al 2016 ; Babendreier et al 2020 ).…”

The effect of integrated pest management on Scirpophaga innotata population and natural enemies on rice field in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

“…The application of high nitrogen fertilizers can increase the intensity of stem borer attacks (Ramzan et al 2007). According to January et al (2020), too much nitrogen fertilization can increase stem borer damage. High nitrogen fertilizers cause plant stems to become succulents, so the intensity of stem borer attacks is higher, body weight is greater, and the life cycle is shorter (Lu et al 2007).…”

Efficacy of three plant oils against Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on stored polished and local rice

“…The maximum amount of losses occurs during the storage of the grain due to a lack of adequate infrastructure, insect-resistant varieties and poor sanitation [4,6,12,17,21,37,45] . The rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is most implicated as a field to store pest of rice, causing considerable losses across the sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular [29,32,55] . This weevil can feed directly on intact grain kernels of rice which serve as natural host to the pest [44].…”

“…This weevil can feed directly on intact grain kernels of rice which serve as natural host to the pest [44]. The activities of this primary pest culminate in loss of grain weight, nutrients and seed viability and their activities make grains vulnerable to contamination by mites and fungi [8,28,29,34]. The use of synthetic pesticides has not been fully accepted as to poses substantial risks to human health, non-target organisms and to the environment [1,16,20] .…”