Integrated pest management is intended to reduce ecological and health damage from chemical pesticides by using biological agents to control pest populations. Philippine government has this goal of obtaining high yield and low production cost while protecting human and environmental health.

Resistance to insecticides and pesticides among insect pests – such as black bugs and stem borers – is a challenge for their control. Use of biological agents to effectively suppress insect pests’ populations in the rice field is important.

On 4 – 6 May 2021, a training course on stem borer and black bug management using biological agents was conducted. In this training Metarhizium (fungus that grows upon insect host cuticle) and Trichogramma (a genus of minute polyphagous wasps) were used as biological agents. Accordingly, Trichogramma is the most used biological control agent in the world.

21 rice farmers from Alicia, Dagohoy, Pilar and San Miguel attended the training. First day of the training was more on concepts. Here, participants learned different principles on pest management specifically: understanding the nature and factors in the abundance of rice black bugs and stem borers; pest control and management; how to apply pest management approaches; how to do a biological pest management approach; what are the natural enemies and predators for black bugs and stem borers.

On the second day, participants learned about light trapping operation to trap and control black bug infestation. On the last and third day, participants learned how to properly release the Metarhizium and Trichogramma in the rice field.

Dr. Marina Labonite, a Learning Site Cooperator from Labonite Family Farm in San Isidro, Pilar, Bohol and Julius Llorente Ludevese from the Department of Agriculture – Regional Crop Protection Center (DA-RCPC) Region 7, have shared their expertise around these subject matters by being resource persons.

“I was happy to learn that there is training about black bug and stem borer since this problem has reached our area. I have requested from our MAO a training around black bug management since they can’t be killed with chemicals. Hence, I am delighted to be here, in this training. We have experienced black bug infestation in our rice field in the past. I had observed that when the rice was attacked by black bugs the taste would become bitter. From our training, I have realized that Metarhizium and Trichogramma can indeed kill or minimize the population of black bugs,” said Discoro Butihen - one of the training participants.

Sa pag kabati naho ani nga seminar about sa black bug og stem borer, nalipay jd kog dako ky kaning problemaha naabot nis amo. Maong nihanjo kos among municipal nga mo pasaka og request nga magpa training ug pamaagi kung unsaon pag patay sa black bug ky d man jud sya mapatay sa chemical. na obserbaran ang bugas nga na apektohan og stem borer og black bug dli jd sya makaon pait jd sya kaayu. Unya karong seasona namalik na pod ang black bug. Sa atong seminar ako na realize makatabang gyud ang metarrhzium ug trichogramma para ma minimize ang mga peste.