Comparative Evaluation of the Impact of Different Cultivation Methods on Infestation of Insect Pests of Rice on the Konkan Coast of Maharashtra

Abstract

Rice is an important cereal staple food for the majority of the world’s population. The choice of cultivation methods plays a key role in influencing insect pest infestation, which ultimately affect the crop yield. Hence, a field experiment was carried out to comparatively evaluate a total of eleven rice cultivation methods for their impact on infestation level of yellow stem borer, leaf folder and case worm. Among the cultivation methods evaluated, the lowest incidence of dead heart as well as white ear head was recorded in the char sutri method with no significant difference compared to the recommended rice cultivation method. In the system of rice intensification method, the least occurrence of leaf folder and case worm was observed, with a statistically significant difference in incidence compared to the recommended rice cultivation method. These findings underscore the importance of adopting environmentally friendly and resource-efficient cultivation practices to mitigate pest damage while ensuring the long-term sustainability of rice production.