Capacitating the rice program implementers in Central Visayas, the Department of Agriculture -7 (DA7) conducted a three-day capability building training on major rice pests and diseases identification, damage assessment, and management held on March 18-20, 2025, in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. Among the program implementers were from the DA7’s research division and its stations- Bohol Experiment Station (BES) and Soil Water Research Development Center (SWRDC), Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC), PATCO Bohol and Negros, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) Negros, and local government units from Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Oriental.
Among the topics discussed include the identifying and managing major rice diseases, rodent control, major rice insect pests, weed management, and rice pest monitoring protocols, along with the damage assessment methods. Other topics discussed were on pesticide handling, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and Prevention, Avoidance, Monitoring and Suppression (PAMS).
Participants also underwent practical applications, conducting fieldwork using the Open Data Kit (ODK), hands-on demonstrations of the monitoring protocol, sample processing, and group presentations.
In the one of the discussions, Christine A. Torlao, DA7’s Science Research Specialist, highlighted the safety measures on the use of pesticide, such as proper protective equipment, safe application methods (drench or spray), and exposure reduction techniques. She emphasized the importance of understanding the toxicity of pesticides, as rated by the World Health Organization (WHO), and the associated risks of pesticide poisoning, among others. She said that pesticides expire within two years after its manufacturing date.
Bienvenido D. Acabal Jr., chief of the RCPC, discussed on IPM and the use of biocontrol agents like General Predator (Earwig, Spider), trichogramma, metarhizium (2 species, green Muscardine), and trichoderma, and Beauveria in pest management, offering sustainable alternatives to chemical treatments.
Julius L. Ludevese, Science Research Specialist I, discussed on weed management, while Merlita Dela Cruz, discussed on rice pest monitoring protocol and damage assessment.
