Rice insect update

Activity is beginning to slow down in the field and we are moving into “grant-writing” and “meeting” season. This post gives an update on latest reports of insect pests in second crop and crawfish rice. We also present reminders about a couple of rice and cane entomology trainings this month.

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Mexican rice borer site visit announcement – Beaumont, TX – Sept 27 to 28, 2011

As the MRB continues to spread across Louisiana, it is becoming more critical for those associated with the rice and cane industries of Louisiana to become familiar with identification, biology and management of this pest. Drs. Gene Reagan (LSU AgCenter) and Mo Way (Texas A&M Agrilife) are hosting their annual Sugarcane Field Research Site Visit in Beaumont, TX on September 27 and 28, 2011. Louisiana and Texas Sugarcane and Rice Consultants, Agricultural Extension Agents, and Industry Cooperators are invited and encouraged to attend.

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MRB larvae confirmed in Calcasieu Parish

About a week ago Calcasieu Parish County Agent Jimmy Meaux e-mailed me a picture of a borer larva in rice that he suspected was the Mexican rice borer (MRB). This was a highly suspect sample due to a combination of the morphology of the larva and where it was found – which was in the same area where LDAF caught the first adult MRBs in pheromone traps in Louisiana. This confirms our suspicion that MRB are now establishing and reproducing in Louisiana. I would strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with identification of this pest. Below is some information on this particular field infestation from Johnny’s Saichuk’s field notes. Following this I’m including some information on identification of MRB.

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The Mexican rice borer continues to move east across Louisiana

The Mexican rice borer (MRB) has now been found near Lake Charles, LA. It is important that you learn to identify this pest, and distinguish it from other borers that can be found in rice or cane. You can study up on the pest by downloading LSU AgCenter numbered pubs which are linked to this blog posting. If you find a larvae in rice or cane and suspect that it is MRB, please call me and we can arrange to pick up the sample.

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USDA-RAMP Project Workshop – Rice Mill Insect Pest Management – Video and Handbook posted

On May 10, 2011, Dr. Gene Reagan (LSU AgCenter) and a team of scientists from Oklahoma State University; USDA-ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, Kansas; Arkansas State University; University of Arkansas; and Texas A&M AgriLife Research conducted a USDA-RAMP Project Workshop titled: “Rice Mill Insect Pest Management – Optimizing Insect Control and Grain Quality”. You can view a video of the presentations here.

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LSU AgCenter Mexican Rice Borer site visit – Beaumont, TX

On Monday, Johnny Saichuk (rice specialist), Donna Lee (county agent – East Caroll Parish) and I headed over to Beaumont, Texas for the annual Mexican Rice Borer (MRB) Site Visit. This meeting is held annually to share the latest results of a long-running cooperative research effort between Texas A&M and the LSU AgCenter. The research programs of Dr. Gene Reagen, Mo Way, Ted Wilson, and Bill White are showcased. The Mexican rice borer is a significant pest of rice and sugarcane production in Texas. It was been moving north and eaast across the rice and sugarcane belt of texas since the early 1980′s. Infestations result in significant reliance on insecticides to control this pest. The USDA breeding programs are also selecting for resistance to borers in sugarcane.

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