Bradbrook - 2012 - Rice Farming complete with methods to increase ric

. Mechanical control
Use traps to catch rodents, erect barriers around the field to deter fiarther
attack, and hand pick pests whenever possible.
4. Pesticide use
When nonchemical methods fail to control the pests, pesticides should be applied.
However, application should be at the lowest dose possible and it should specifically
target the pest in question. Furthermore, pesticides should have minimal side effects
on humans and other organisms. It should also have a limited effect on the
environment.
Pesticide application should be limited to the area where the pests are detected.
Broadcast spraying of pesticides should be done as a last resort.
5. Monitoring the success o f pesticide application
After applying pesticides, the pest population should be monitored. The goal is not
complete eradication, which is usually not possible, but a reduction in the number to
manageable levels.
Limitations o f IPM
Although IPM provides a lot of benefits from the reduced number of pesticide applications,
there are limitations in its application as well.
1. Knowledge of pests and pesticides required
IPM requires that the farmer has extensive knowledge of rice pests and the specific
pesticides used for their control. This may be easy for experienced rice farmers but not
for those who are new to growing rice. Poor rice farmers also may not have access to
current control information.
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