Management and Ecology of Key Rice Pests

Invertebrate pests impose significant constraints on rice production in NSW. This RIRDC report describes the results and implications of a three-year project investigating the ecology and management of bloodworms and aquatic snails, the most significant pests affecting the success of rice crop establishment. Initial studies on stink bug populations within NSW rice crops are also reported.
This report is targeted at rice growers, scientists, and policy makers within the Australian rice industry. Some components of the report, such as the results of the stink bug survey, are of immediate relevance to grower decisions on how they manage their crops. Other components, such as the identification of niclosamide as providing a reliable and sustainable alternative to copper sulphate for snail control, now require policy decisions to be made in order to facilitate the registration of this material before it can be used by growers.