When I walk through my dhan, clouds of small insects jump and fly up from the canopy, and I am not sure what they are or if they are harmful.
2 जवाब
Small insects that jump and fly up in clouds when you disturb the rice canopy could be a few different things, so identification matters before you decide anything. They might be plant hoppers or leaf hoppers, which sit on the plant and suck sap and can carry virus and cause hopper burn, or they could be harmless or even helpful insects passing through. The simplest way to tell is to catch a few in a clear bottle or on a sticky surface and look at where they feed and how they sit, then send a clear close up photo along with a note on any leaf yellowing, drying patches or sticky honeydew to your KVK or agri officer for a proper identification. Do not spray just because you see flying insects, since many are natural enemies or neutral, and an unnecessary spray can kill the helpful ones and trigger a hopper outbreak. Once your officer identifies the insect, they will tell you whether it is a pest worth managing and the right step. For now, scout the base of the plants for hopper colonies and watch for any drying patches as warning signs.
I sent a photo to the KVK and it turned out many were helpful insects, and they told me to check the base of the plant for hoppers rather than judge by the flying ones. Glad I did not spray blindly.