Rice insecticide seed treatment considerations for 2012

We have had quite a few inquiries about using a combination of seed treatments, neonicotinoid and Dermacor X-100, in rice. While this practice is legal, using more than one seed treatment is not a practice that we encourage in most circumstances because it results in more insecticide use in rice production than may be necessary. Read on to learn more about the current situation.

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The terrible trio – sugarcane beetles, chinch bugs, and colaspis – plus more bill bugs

More reports of chinch bugs, bill bugs, colaspis, and sugarcane beetles in rice. An update on our rice water weevil demonstration test. Also, the summer field meeting schedule is starting to shape-up.

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Bill bugs and chinch bugs reducing rice stands in Calcasieu Parish

Today we scouted fields in Calcasieu Parish which were infested with rice levee bill bugs and chinch bugs.

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More insects reports from Jeff Davis and Evangeline Parish – chinch bugs, thrips, aphids, and rice water weevil adults.

This week we have had calls about chinch bugs and thrips in rice. We also took stand count observations at the Evangeline Parish test site yesterday. This blog posting discusses chinch bugs, aphids, thrips and some natural enemies (fire ants and ladybugs).

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More chinch bugs and a reminder about pest spectrum of rice insecticide seed treatments

This morning I received another call about chinch bugs infesting seedling rice – this is the fourth call I’ve had this season, so I want to remind field scouts to be on the look-out for this pest. So far they have been reported in Jeff-Davis, Evangeline and St. Landry Parishes. In this blog posting I also provide a reminder about which insects are controlled by the different seed treatments.

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2009 Louisiana rice insect survey – part one

Anna and I have been working together to summarize the 2009 Louisiana rice insects survey data, and the graphs are now starting to take shape. We observed some interesting trends. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll post a series of blogs that will summarize some of the highlights of our findings. Thanks to all who participated in the survey. If you didn’t participate last year, don’t worry, you’ll have a chance to comment on what happened in the 2010 production season when we hand out surveys at the winter meetings in January.

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Chinch bugs in Evangeline Parish rice

Mr. BD Fontenot reported a chinch bug injured field to us today. Rice that was happy and healthy last week, had suddenly started to die on one edge of the field. The damage is pretty severe, but quick action will probably save the rest of the field.

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