E. Ferreira et al., INFLUENCE OF UPLAND RICE MECHANIZATION ON THE INFESTATION AND DAMAGE OF RHOPALOSIPHUM-RUFIABDOMINALE (SASAKI, 1899) (HOMOPTERA, APHIDIDAE), Pesquisa agropecuaria brasileira, 30(10), 1995, pp. 1211-1215
The root aphid Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominale (Sasaki, 1899) infestation
and damage were studied in an experiment of upland rice mechanization
using the cultivar Caiapo. The five sowing machines and the two soil
preparations used showed significant differences in the percentage of
infested plants and plant population. The Caiapo grain yield was estim
ated to have been reduced by the aphid in about 28.5%, being 15.2% ass
ociated to missing plants and 13.3% to the feebleness of the remaining
plants. To reduce the insect damage, the first step is to choose an a
dequate sowing machine, followed by a correct soil preparation and tre
atment when the crop infestation shows, at the beginning of tillering
and reproductive phases, respectively, 13% and 5% of the plants with a
phid colonies on the roots.