Ha Tinh proactively manage pest risks amid prolonged heatwaves

High risk of outbreaks from dangerous pests and diseases

The 2026 summer-autumn crop season presents significant challenges for Ha Tinh as hot weather arrived early, intensified quickly, and is expected to persist. In response to these unfavorable conditions, the provincial agricultural sector has focused on forecasting and surveillance while guiding farmers to implement synchronized control measures to safeguard production, specifically rice cultivation.

Reports from the Ha Tinh Hydrometeorological Station show that average temperatures from June to September 2026 are expected to be 1 - 1.5°C higher than the long-term average. Early-season rainfall is forecast to remain limited, while heavy rains are likely to concentrate toward the end of September, increasing the risk of localized drought across many production areas. These conditions are also favorable for the emergence and spread of various pests and diseases.

Ho Thi Thuy, Head of the Plant Protection Division under the Ha Tinh Sub-Department of Crop Production and Animal Health, said that several dangerous pests and diseases are expected to affect summer-autumn rice crops this year, including thrips, golden apple snails, rice leaffolders, brown planthoppers, white-backed planthoppers, rice panicle mites, sheath blight, bacterial leaf blight, Southern rice black-streaked dwarf disease, and rodents.

Among them, rice leaffolders are considered the most serious threat. The first generation appears in mid-June in early-planted fields. The second generation is forecast to peak from early to mid-July, coinciding with the rice stem elongation and panicle initiation stages. At this time, larvae can damage functional leaves, especially flag leaves, directly affecting photosynthesis and crop productivity. A third generation is expected to emerge in early August as rice approaches heading.

Sights of the first generation of rice leaffolders have already been recorded in communes such as Cam Hung, Thach Xuan, Yen Hoa, and Thien Cam, affecting approximately 25 hectares. Average infestation levels range from 5 - 7 larvae per square meter, increasing to 10 - 15 larvae per square meter in some areas. In certain early-planted and vigorously growing fields, densities have reached 30 - 40 larvae per square meter.

In addition to leaffolders, brown planthoppers and white-backed planthoppers are expected to increase significantly in the coming weeks. Densely planted fields, low-lying areas, and locations that experienced severe infestations in previous years are particularly vulnerable.

From early July, when rice enters the stem elongation and panicle formation stages, planthopper populations are expected to rise rapidly. Peak infestations are forecast from early August onward, during the heading and grain-filling stages. Without timely detection and intervention, planthoppers could cause hopper burn over large areas, reducing yields and production.

More concerningly, white-backed planthoppers are vectors of Southern rice black-streaked dwarf disease, one of the most dangerous rice diseases for which no effective curative treatment currently exists.

Rice panicle mites also pose a serious threat. Under prolonged hot and dry conditions, they can damage multiple parts of rice plants, reducing nutrient transport and leading to incomplete heading, unfilled grains, and grain deformities.

“Besides rice pests and diseases, farmers should remain highly vigilant against bamboo locusts. This is a polyphagous species capable of rapid movement, causing extensive damage and proving difficult to control. They typically occur from May to September under warm, humid conditions with rainfall. They are commonly found near forested areas containing bamboo and related species, but when food becomes scarce, they migrate to other locations and can damage upland crops, vegetables, rice, and sugarcane,” Thuy said.

Early prevention and control measures

In response to increasing pest risks, the Ha Tinh Department of Agriculture and Environment has requested commune and ward authorities to strengthen production management and implement coordinated control measures. Pest monitoring, forecasting, and early detection have been identified as priority tasks to ensure outbreaks are addressed before spreading.

Local authorities have been instructed to intensify field inspections and closely monitor pest populations, particularly rice leaffolders and planthoppers. When leaffolder densities reach 10 larvae per square meter or higher, farmers are advised to apply appropriate control measures using active ingredients such as Indoxacarb, Emamectin benzoate, or Chlorantraniliprole at the correct timing. For brown and white-backed planthoppers, treatments should be applied during the first and second nymph stages using active ingredients such as Triflumezopyrim, Pymetrozine, or Fenobucarb for maximum effectiveness.

Alongside the use of crop protection products, agricultural authorities encourage farmers to adopt integrated pest management (IPM) practices. Recommended measures include maintaining field sanitation, removing crop residues after harvest, preparing land thoroughly, sowing and transplanting at appropriate times and densities, and selecting short-duration, pest-resistant varieties suited to local ecological conditions.

Farmers are also advised to apply balanced fertilization, avoid excessive nitrogen use, manage irrigation efficiently, and adopt advanced cultivation techniques such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation methods to strengthen rice plant resilience.

For dangerous viral diseases such as Southern rice black-streaked dwarf disease and rice grassy stunt disease, agricultural authorities recommend collecting samples of insect vectors and rice plants for virus monitoring from the beginning of the season. This provides a critical basis for developing timely prevention and control plans to limit disease spread.

As weather conditions remain unpredictable, with prolonged heat interspersed with rainfall events, the risk of pest and disease outbreaks remains high. Proactive forecasting, regular field monitoring, and timely implementation of control measures from the start of the season will be crucial for protecting yields and ensuring stable summer-autumn rice production in Ha Tinh during 2026.