Today, rice is one of the most increasing cereal crops for that and to keep up with demand for rice a key element is the development and implementation of effective rice insect management strategies. Rice, an annual grass is grown mostly in Asia, China, Japan, and small amounts in the U.S. Rice was a crop which was domesticated 10,000 years ago in the river valleys of South and SE Asia and China. Rice as a very unique life cycle to grow. The rice plant consists of the roots, stem, leaves and panicle. Traditional varieties require about l50 days of growth to reach the mature grain stage whereas the modern, high yielding, very early maturing varieties can be harvested in as few as 90 days after sowing.
Insect pests attack all portions of the rice plant and all stages of plant growth.
Insects also attack rice grains in storage. This gives us information on the rice water weevils. The researchers give information on the life styles and habits of the weevils, what they eat, where they live, and how they can destroy a rice crop. This site also gives information on light traps that can be used to monitor the weevils flight patterns. This site was published by the University of Missouri-Columbia and explains what Rice Blast is and how it can be controlled.