STATUS OF INSECT PESTS AND THEIR NATURAL ENEMIES ON RICE UNDER RAINFED ECOSYSTEMS

Roving survey was conducted during kharif 2009 at Uttara Kannada district viz., upghat drill sown paddy (Mundgod and Banavasi), upghat transplanted paddy (Sirsi and Siddapura) and coastal transplanted paddy (Kumta and Honnavar) to study the status of insect pests and their natural enemy complex. Among the ecosystems surveyed, almost similar trend of insect population was observed both in upghat drill sown and upghat transplanted paddy. During vegetative stage, thrips and leaf folder were above economic threshold levels. Whereas, during reproductive stage yellow stem borer (YSB), brown plant hopper (BPH), white backed plant hopper (WBPH) and ear head bug (EHB) were above economic threshold levels. The natural enemy complex consisted of 6 species of parasitoids, 27 species of predators, 6 species of spiders and 3 species of pathogens. Spiders and minds were the prominent natural enemies of BPH, WBPH and YSB.