See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/273406891

Efficacy of insecticides against the Rice Stem-borer, Chilo suppressalis

(Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), and use of sex pheromones to time
accurately the yearly application

Article  in  International Journal of Pest Management · October 2012

DOI: 10.1080/09670874.2012.724469

CITATIONS READS

20 1,453

2 authors:

Ri-zhao Chen Michael G Klein

Jilin Agricultural University The Ohio State University
21 PUBLICATIONS   131 CITATIONS    133 PUBLICATIONS   2,809 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

C. elegans, EPN/EPB, Microbial Genetics, Antimicobial peptides, plant protection, Phytophthora, plant pathogenic bacteria View project

Japanese beetle and Exotic Scarab biological control View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Ri-zhao Chen on 30 September 2020.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 International Journal of Pest Management
Vol. 58, No. 4, October–December 2012, 353–359

Efficacy of insecticides against the Rice Stem-borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera:
Crambidae), and use of sex pheromones to time accurately the yearly application
Ri-zhao Chena* and Michael G. Kleinb
a
College of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, 2888 Xincheng Road, Changchun 130118, Jilin Province, P.R. China;
b
Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, OARDC, Wooster, OH, USA
(Received 13 August 2012; final version received 17 August 2012)

Larvae of the Rice Stem-borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker), cause extensive crop losses worldwide. Since pesticide
application is the major management tactic in China, judicious timing of a minimal dose of insecticides is important
in developing an IPM program for that pest. Pheromone trap captures of male moths were used to time the single
insecticide application in two seasons (2010 and 2011). In 2010, six pesticides – deltamethrin, cygon, chlorpyrifos,
cartap, fipronil, and esfenvalerate – gave 490% control of stem-borers, and reduced damage to less than 5.0%. In
2011, control exceeding 90% and a damage level of 55.0% and was achieved with 0.35 kg/ha deltamethrin and
Downloaded by [Dalhousie University] at 12:30 21 May 2013

chlorpyrifos. Cygon, at either 0.30 or 0.35 kg/ha, provided control exceeding 90% and a damage level of 54.0%.
With the proviso that the impact of insecticides on biological control agents remains to be investigated, these three
insecticides are recommended for use by Chinese rice farmers.
Keywords: cygon; chlorpyrifos; deltamethrin; Rice Stem-borer; sex attractant; Striped Stem-borer; rice damage

1. Introduction hearts’. In the flowering stage, the meristem is eaten,

Rice is one of China’s most important crops, grown
over an area of approximately 4.17 6 107 ha, repre-
senting 42% of the total crop area (Huang and Zhang
2002; Chen et al. 2010). Worldwide, over 100 insect
species attack and damage rice (Pathak 1968; Grist and
Lever 1969; Pathak 1977). The Rice Stem-borer (RSB),
Chilo suppressalis (Walker), also known as the Striped
Stem-borer, is a native of China and is distributed
throughout the country, especially in Jilin province
(Pathak 1968; Grist and Lever 1969; Pathak 1977; Du
et al. 1991; Li and Li 1996; Chen et al. 2003). It is also
found in East Asia, India and Indonesia (Khan et al.
1991; Muralidharan and Pasalu 2006), and is the most
serious constraint upon rice production in these areas
(Rao et al. 1987).
Females of the RSB lay two to three egg masses,
comprising ca. 70 eggs at the leaf tip. Each mass is
covered with pale brown hairs derived from the
mother’s anal tufts. In the rice seedling stage, newly
hatched larvae briefly graze the epidermis, and then
bore into the stem. When newly transplanted seedlings
are damaged, the leaf sheath turns brownish, creating a
dead shell. After entering and feeding on the tissue
inside the upper nodes, the larvae eat their way down
to the base of the plants (Pathak 1968; Dale 1994). The
tillering and flowering stages of rice plants are the most
sensitive to RSB damage (Viajante and Heinrichs
1987). During the tillering stage, larvae cut off the
growing points, causing them to die, and creating ‘dead
leaving white heads, which are empty or have unfilled
glume, known as ‘‘dead heads’’. In serious cases, this
damage causes yield losses of up to 30%, with 10–20%
dead hearts and 45% white heads (Beevor et al. 1990;
Liu 1990; Sheng et al. 2003; DRR 2004a, 2004b; Chi
et al. 2005) ).
RSB larval populations are difficult to control using
contact insecticides, because chemicals are effective
only during the very short period between egg-hatch
and plant penetration (Nesbitt et al. 1975; Beevor et al.
1990; Howse et al. 1998). Thus, the control of RSB pest
populations in Chinese paddy fields has involved
widespread, annual, single applications of chemical
insecticides.
In an attempt to incorporate biological control into
RSB management in China, Chen et al. (2007b)
released the egg parasitoid Trichogramma chilonis lshii
either alone or dusted with Bacillus thuringiensis
(Berliner). With the addition of B. thuringiensis, T.
chilonis provided ca. 70% control (13.3% higher than
with T. chilonis alone). However, control at a level of
70% does not constitute adequate suppression, and
together with the complex release process and the high
cost to benefit ratio, utilization of T. chilonis is
currently impracticable.
Due to a paucity of natural enemies of the borer
(which is attributed to previously excessive insecticide
use) and the lack of other reliable alternative control
methods (cultural), RSB populations have increased

*Corresponding author. Email: bobob1972@163.com

ISSN 0967-0874 print/ISSN 1366-5863 online

Ó 2012 Taylor & Francis
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09670874.2012.724469
http://www.tandfonline.com
 354 R.-z. Chen and M.G. Klein
many-fold over the last three decades, causing a critical
problem to rice-growers in China. Although various
tactics, including varietal resistance, the use of BT rice,
rice transformed with insecticidal gene from Bt cultural
practices, insecticides and biological control have been
employed against RSB in other locations, insecticides are
still the only reliable choice for Chinese farmers. This can
be considered a pragmatic approach, as Tabien (2011)
found that parasitoids have been effective only in
tropical locations, and that the resistance of rice varieties
to RSB is low. Borer suppression can continue to rely on
chemicals if the pesticide load can be reduced to an
environmentally acceptable level without a decrease in
the quantity or quality of rice production.
To make sensible decisions regarding insecticide
application, farmers require reliable, cost-effective and
simple techniques for monitoring pest populations.
Pheromones provide such a tool because they are non-
toxic to animals and plants, and are specific to target
Downloaded by [Dalhousie University] at 12:30 21 May 2013
pests. They are fully compatible with pesticide use, and
are an ideal component of integrated pest management
(IPM) programs (Chen and Li 2011). Pheromone
trapping in rice paddies could be an effective alter-
native to the current methods of taking field counts of
egg masses or spraying on a calendar basis (Chen et al.
2007a). The Chilo suppressalis pheromone was first
identified by Nesbitt et al. (1975) as (Z)-11-hexadecenal
and (Z)-13-octadecenal. An additional compound, (Z)-
9- hexadecenal, was later identified (Tatsuki et al.
1983), and the three components make up (1:10:1), Z9-
16Ald:Z11-16Ald: Z13-8Ald, which is the standard lure
(Cork 2004).
In this study, the appearance of adults of RSB was
monitored with pheromone traps to help optimize the
timing of insecticide applications. Insecticides were
selected on the basis of: (1) low toxicity and residue; (2)
likely effectiveness against RSB; (3) a high frequency of
use in either China alone or worldwide. The insecti-
cides chosen have low or medium mammalian toxicity.
Casida and Quistad (1998) noted that pyrethroids
accounted for approximately a quarter of the world-
wide insecticide market at that time. Currently,
pyrethroids are the most commonly used insecticides
in China, and they have been used to control the RSB
in many other countries (Casida and Quistad 1998;
Chen et al. 2003; Martins et al. 2003; Wellington et al.
2004). Other insecticides, such as esfenvalerate and
deltamethrin, are relatively safe to other invertebrates
or vertebrates, since they are insect-specific in action
(causing changes in insect membrane fluidity) (An-
tunes-Maderia and Maderia 1979; Martins et al. 2003;
Sarkar et al. 1993; Wellington et al. 2004).
Based on the criteria above, the 16 insecticides used
here include the following: abamectin is a bacterium-
derived insecticide; chlorpyrifos and phoxim are low-
toxicity organophosphates; and monosultap is a
nereistoxin analogue. Fipronil is a phenylpyrazole
insecticide that was introduced into China in 1997
and became the main control agent for RSB, since it
has high insecticidal activity and low mammalian
toxicity (Fang et al. 2008; He et al. 2008). The novel
anthranilic diamide insecticide, chlorantraniliprole, has
recently been widely used to control C. suppressalis
(Huang et al. 2011). In addition, carbofuran, chlorpyr-
ifos, cartap and permethrin have also been reported as
being effective against RSB in Taiwan (Huang et al.
2011). Imidacloprid has also been used in China (Chen
et al. 2003), and Cygon and dipterex have been widely
applied in agriculture, home pest control, for protec-
tion of foodstuffs, and for disease vector control
worldwide against Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, flies and
mosquitoes.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Male moth population dynamics
An automatic water-supplemented pheromone trap
(Figure 1) was designed by one of us (Chen r-z) to
assess peak male moth activity as a trigger for
insecticide spraying. The lures, green rubber septa
impregnated with 0.2 mg of the synthetic RSB sex
pheromone (Cork 2004), with butylated hydroxyl
toluene (BHT) as an antioxidant, were standardized
and supplied by Sheng Cheng fa, Institute of Zoology,
Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing (Sheng et al.
2003). The capture part of the traps consisted of green
plastic basins (24 cm diameter, 10 cm deep) pierced
across the top with a metal wire (0.5 cm diameter) on
which the lures were hung ca 1.0 cm above a solution
in the basins. An opaque plastic tube (inner diameter
1 cm, length 12–20 cm) protruded 3 cm through the
side of the basin allowing a 5% detergent solution in
the reserve container to flow into the catch basin and
keep it from drying out (Figure 1). The container
replaced any liquid lost to evaporation, thus making
servicing of the traps easier and quicker.
Traps were placed at the Jilin Agricultural Uni-
versity Experimental Station (the northeast plain area of
Figure 1. Schematic drawing of automatic, water-
supplemented, pheromone trap used for capturing Chilo
suppress (Walker) in rice paddy fields.

China) on 1.2-m bamboo sticks driven into the ground
so the trap was 60–100 cm above ground (at least 10 cm
above the rice canopy). They were placed 20 m apart to
give ca. 7.5 mg of pheromone per hectare based on
previous work (Chen et al. 2003; Shang et al. 2003; Chen
et al. 2007a, 2007b). Traps were examined and moths
counted and removed every 3 d, lures were replaced
every 2 weeks, and trapping extended from 27 May to 10
October. This period coincided with RSB adult emer-
gence from the overwintering and first generations.
2.2. Chemical control
Tests in 2010–11 were conducted in a rice paddy of ca.
15 ha at the Jilin Agricultural University, in an area
where rice had been grown for many years for research
purposes,and RSBs were very numerous. The adjacent
village may have been a source of overwintering adults
from numerous stored rice plants.
Downloaded by [Dalhousie University] at 12:30 21 May 2013
2.3. Insecticides
The 16 commercial formulations of insecticides (%
active ingredient [a.i] and formulation [EC, emulsifiable
concentrate; SP, soluble powder; WP, wettable powder)
were: fipronil (10 EC), Cygon (40 EC), phoxim (50 EC),
monosultap (90 SP), cyhalothrin (10 SP), esfenvalerate
(25 EC), imidacloprid (5 EC, forbidden in rice in China),
dipterex (50 WP), abamectin (1.8 EC), cyfluthrin (92
SP), bifenthrin (95 SP), and deltamethrin (99) were
provided by Jilin Bada insecticide Group Co., Ltd (9
Xixinhua Road, Gongzhuling 136100, Jilin Province,
China). Endosulfan (35 EC) came from Jinlin Nongjiang
Pesticide Factory in China, and carbofuran (3 GR)
chlorpyrifos (40 EC), cartap (50 WP) and permethrin (10
EC) were provided by Sinon Corporation (23 Mei-
chuanxi Road, Taizhong 136100, Taiwan, China).
2.4. Insecticide efficacy
An experiment was designed with the 16 insecticides
and one untreated control, replicated in three rando-
mized blocks of 100 6 100-m plots. Adjacent plots
were separated by 4 6 10-m buffers of bare ground to
diminish interactions between treatments. The timing
of the single pesticide application was triggered when
the rice plants were in the tillering stage, when there is a
sharp increase in moth capture (1 day’s catch equals
the total of the previous three captures) to more than
50 moths (Chen et al. 2003.; Chen et al. 2006, 2007a).
In 2010, the insecticide concentration was 6 g/L (0.3
kg/h and treatments were applied on June 13. The EC,
WP and SP formulations were applied at a pressure of
0.6 MPa with a knapsack sprayer (Model: M9w-
315207, Beijing Zhongyuan Scientific Company, Beij-
ing), fitted with a single swirl nozzle (BJ64348 Chengdu
Density Swirl-nozzel Scientific Company, Chengdu).
For carbofuran, 0.3 kg of granules were mixed with
International Journal of Pest Management 355
4.5 kg of fine soil and spread by hand. Applications of
0.20–0.35 kg/ha were made on 15 June 2011, while
other factors were the same as in 2010.
2.4. Field observations
Damage to plants was assessed in late September 2010
and 2011by randomly selecting ca. 120 tillered rice
plants (points), representing about ca. 15 original plants
(each original rice plant produces 6–10 tillers that form
new plants) from a pile of ca. 35 plants. The numbers of
dead shells, white heads, and dead heads were recorded,
and each plant was cut open to find and record the
number of larvae in its various parts. No sign of
parasites was noted in this process, indicating a total
lack of RSB parasitoid activity in this area of China.
2.5. Data analysis
The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA using
SAS software (version 9.1 2003). The data on
percentage damage and control were analysed follow-
ing arcsine transformation. The LSD test was used to
determine treatment differences. The normality and the
homogeneity of the data were tested by chi-squared
values for the damage rates, which were 25.96 and
33.76, with P ¼ 0.05 and P ¼ 0.99, for 2010 and 2011,
respectively. The values for the control were 21.82 and
9.17, with P ¼ 0.32, and P ¼ 0.09, for the two years.
3. Results
3.1. Male moth population dynamics
The first overwintering moths were captured on 28
May 2010 (Figure 2). The number of captures
increased steadily for about 3 weeks, and then rapidly
to ca. 60 per trap by 20 June. Between 20 June and 5
July, captures increased to ca. 70. On 7 July, captures
declined from the peak to around 25 moths. Following
an increase to ca. 50 moths by the end of July,
populations suddenly dropped to near zero. From mid-
August to mid-September, a new generation of RSB
emerged, but populations never exceeded 30 moths per
trap. Populations steadily dropped over the last two
weeks of August and reached zero by 10 October.
During 2011, a very similar pattern of adult moth
population dynamics occurred (Figure 2). From 27 May
to 6 June the catches increased rapidly, followed by two
sharp decreases from 7 to 17 July and from 30 July to 8
August. From 9 August to 8 September, the captures
increased, and they then decreased from 29 August to 10
October when the catches remained at zero for three
days. Captures were slightly higher in 2011, exceeding 80
in the overwintering generation and 50 in the next.
In both years, captures from May 27 to August 9
indicated that RSB had completed one generation, and
those from August 9 to 10 October showed a second,
smaller generation which did not warrant control
 356 R.-z. Chen and M.G. Klein

measures. The trap capture data showed that the
important first peak was in mid-June, and that
treatments should have been applied 13–17 June in
both 2010 and 2011. There was so little variation
between the replicates during the two years that
deviations are not evident in Figure 2. The mean for
the three traps in 2010 was 15.5 per trap and the
coefficient of variation (CV) ¼ 0.133, while the mean
for the three traps in 2011was 15.9 per trap and the
deviation was similarly low with a CV of 0.138.
3.2. Insecticide efficacy
In 2010, significant differences (P 5 0.05) were found
in the both the level of RSB control and the level of
plant damage for fields treated with different pesticides
(Table 1). Following insecticide applications, the
control of larvae and a decrease in damage were
Downloaded by [Dalhousie University] at 12:30 21 May 2013
mostly significant. These results indicate an acceptable,
or near optimum, determination of application date
based on the pheromone traps, and they validate our
particular choice of insecticides. The most effective
insecticides were deltamethrin, cygon, chlorpyrifos,
cartap, fipronil and esfenvalerate, with control of
larvae between 90% and 87.5%. Applying these
insecticides also resulted in very low plant damage
(1.5% to 2.7%). In general, higher insecticide efficien-
cies resulted in lower damage rates, indicating that
larvae died before they could cause plant damage.
However, with permethrin, phoxim, imidacloprid and
monosultap, the reduction of larval numbers was 85%
but plant damage was higher (3.4, 4.1, 5.5 and 6.2,
respectively) than for other pesticides. Therefore, those
four pesticides were eliminated from further testing.
During 2011, both the plant damage rates and larva
per plant were higher than in the previous year. This

Figure 2. Captures of Chilo suppressalis in pheromone traps during 2010–11.

Table 1. Control of Rice Stem-borer and damage (%) to plants following application of various insecticides in 2010.a

Dead shell Dead heart White head Variable tested

Chemical/
No. plants Plants/larvae Plants/larvae Plants/larvae Larva per plant %damage % control
Deltamethrin/1454 5+0.6/11+0.8 14+1.2/30+2.1 3+0.3/14+0.7 0.04 1.5 a 90 a
Cygon/1567 10+0.7/13+1.0 16+1.8/30+1.4 4+0.5/23+1.6 0.04 1.9 h 90 a
Chlorpyrifos/1546 9+0.7/15+2.8 17+1.4/38+1.5 6+0.6/32+1.8 0.05 2.0 h 87.5 a
Cartap/1675 11+0.8/17+1.8 18+1.7/40+2.2 7+0.4/35+1.4 0.05 2.1 h 87.5 a
Fipronil/1455 10+0.9/14+1.9 17+2.1/32+2.4 5+0.8/33+1.3 0.05 2.2 h 87.5 a
Esfenvalerate/1566 14+1.9/13+2.1 21+2.4/44+2.5 7+0.7/29+2.1 0.05 2.7 g 87.5 a
Permethrin/1544 14+1.7/23+1.4 31+2.6/40+2.1 7+0.6/36+2.3 0.06 3.4 f 85 a
Phoxim/1342 11+1.7/17+1.9 37+2.7/29+2.1 7+0.6/31+2.3 0.06 4.1 e 85 ab
Imidacloprid/1577 22+1.8/21+2.1 47+3.1/43+3.1 18+1.8/36+3.1 0.06 5.5 c 85 ab
Monosultap/1377 22+1.5/19+2.5 51+2.8/31+1.1 13+1.9/29+4.1 0.06 6.2 b 85 ab
Dipterex/1543 17+1.7/31+2.1 23+27/51+1.2 11+1.3/33+3.2 0.07 3.3 f 82.5 ab
Endosulfan/1232 12+2.3/21+2.8 22+3.1/45+1.5 7+0.9/28+1.3 0.08 3.1 f 80 ab
Cyhalothrin/1567 15+1.1/32+3.5 24+3.2/45+2.1 11+1.6/43+2.4 0.08 3.1 f 80 ab
Bifenthrin/1768 17+2.1/31+2.3 30+2.8/54+1.5 13+2.1/51+2.2 0.08 3.3 f 80 ab
Carbofuran/1675 17+2.3/34+3.3 36+2.5/78+1.4 11+1.6/44+3.3 0.09 3.8 e 77.5 b
Abamectin /1344 20+4.2/34+2.4 29+1.2/55+1.7 16+1.9/64+2.7 0.11 4.8 d 72.5 b
Ck/1877 33+5.5/284+2.6 72+2.2/285+3.8 21+2.1/198+2.9 0.40 6.7 a
a
Each cell shows the means + SD. Control efficiency (larvae/plant in ck – larva/plant in treatment./ larva/plant in ck) differed significantly
between treatments (F15,32 ¼ 30358; P ¼ 0.002) and plant damaged rate differed significantly among treatments (F16,34 ¼ 592.0810, P ¼ 0.0001).
Numbers in a column followed by the same letter are not significantly different (.05%).
 International Journal of Pest Management 357

resulted from a combination of bad weather (heavy
rain washed the spray off) and higher captures of
moths during 2011 (see Figure 2 and results above). In
addition, heavy rains postponed applications by ca. 7 d
after our trigger of peak catches, thus giving larvae
more time to bore into plants before chemicals were
applied. Damage rates were 54.0%, and control of
larvae was 490% with Cygon at 0.3 kg/ha, and
deltamethrin and chlorpyrifos at 0.35 kg/ha and
(Table 2). Although cartap, fipronil exfenvalerate
provided plant damage levels of 54.0%, the reduc-
tions of larval numbers did not reach 85%.
In 2010, the number of plants with dead heart did
not correlate with either the plant damage or the
control efficiency. However, plants with the more
damaging dead shell or white head correlated with
both the plant damage and control efficiency (Table 1).
The number of larvae in all three damage types did
correlate with the insecticide efficiency. During 2011,
Downloaded by [Dalhousie University] at 12:30 21 May 2013
reaches 30% despite the use of insecticides (Liu 1990;
Beevor et al. 1990; Sheng et al. 2003; DRR 2004a, 2004b;
Chi et al. 2005; Chen et al. 2010). Since insecticides are
only effective for a short period, accurate timing of the
single application of insecticides is critical for reducing
pest population numbers.
A reliable estimate of peak moth emergence/activity
is the first step in developing an IPM program.
Previously in China, insecticides were applied when 5
egg masses or 10 dead shells per 100 plants were found
(Gao et al. 1987; Qin et al. 1991; Zhao et al. 1994; Chen
et al. 2006; Zheng 2007). The time and effort required
to get either of those numbers was great, and the
reliability of those numbers was lower than timing
based on the use of pheromone traps. Negative factors
affecting the collection of egg masses or dead shell data
included weather-caused delays in getting into the field,
overlooking of egg masses or dead shells owing to
tiredness on the part of the person who collected the

there was a stronger correlation between infested
plants, the dosage of insecticide and the number of
larvae. All correlations were stronger for the white
head stage (Table 2).
4. Discussion
The Rice Stem-borer (RSB), Chilo suppressalis, is dis-
tributed over almost all of China and damage sometimes
data and inconsistency between observations by
different persons. In 2010, peak captures in the
pheromone traps more accurately triggered sprays 10
days earlier than the laborious counting of egg masses
or dead shells (data not shown).
Sex pheromones can be used in monitoring,
control, mass trapping, or mating disruption of
economic important insect pests in developing coun-
tries (Cork and Hall 1998; Cork 2004). This study was

Table 2. Control of Rice Stem-borer and damage (%) to plants following application of various insecticides and rates in 2011.a

Dead shell Dead heart White head Variable tested

Chemical/ Dose (kg/ha)/ Larva
No. plants No. plants Plants/larvae Plants/larvae Plants/larvae per plant %Damaged %Control
Deltamethrin/1295 .20/313 15+1.1/22+2.1 6+0.9/12+3.3 4+0.1/9+1.1 0.14 7.9g 89.46abc
.25/324 13+1.0/22+4.1 4+0.2/13+2.3 2+30.1/8+1.3 0.13 5.8i 90.2ab
.30/324 11+1.3/22+1.3 5+0.4/15+1.4 0/0 0.09 4.9jk 93.2a
.35/334 8+0.9/23+2.5 3+0.1/9+1.5 0/0 0.095 3.3n 92.84a
Cygon/1407 .20/354 19+0.822+2.3 8+0.2/15+1.5 0/0 0.121 7.6g 90.88ab
.25/342 19+2.1/22+1.6 9+1.1/21+1.8 1+02/9+1.4 0.192 7.9g 85.54abcd
.30/356 13+2.3/23+2.4 0/0 0/0 0.096 3.7mn 92.77a
.35/355 11+2.2/33+2.2 1+0.1/5+1.2 0/0 0.10 3.4n 91.94ab
Chlorpyrifos/1428 .20/354 17+2.1/44+2.4 6+0.4/19+1.3 4+1.1/12+1.3 0.211 7.6g 84.11abcd
.25/345 15+2.5/44+2.7 8+1.1/22+0.1 0/0 0.191 6.5h 85.61abcd
.30/378 12+2.3/34+2.8 5+0.2/12+0.3 0/0 0.122 4.5kl 90.81ab
.35/351 6+0.8/33+2.5 0/0 0/0 0.094 1.8o 92.92a
Cartap/1335 .20/333 22+3.3/95+2.2 13+1.4/38+0.2 5/8+ 0.423 9.0f 68.15fgh
.25/323 24+3.5/74+2.5 16+1.6/35+0.5 3+1.2/15+1.5 0.384 13.3b 71.08efgh
.30/322 12+2.9/64+2.8 7+0.5/15+0.2 0/0 0.245 5.9hi 81.55bcde
.35/357 13+3.9/69+2.6 2+0.1/4+0.3 0/0 0.204 4.2lm 84.64abcd
Fipronil/1398 .20/348 27+2.5/84+2.4 14+2.3/36+0.4 5+0.3/9+1.3 0.370 13.2b 72.14efgh
.25/359 23+2.6/76+27 16+2.7/42+0.6 3+0.2/9+1.6 0.354 11.7c 73.34efg
.30/365 14+2.7/88+2.9 6+0.7/17+0.3 0/0 0.288 5.5ij 78.31def
.35/326 11+2.3/78+1.7 4+0.2/11+0.2 0/0 0.273 4.6kl 79.44cde
Exfenvalerate/1372 .20//349 22+2.6/98+2.8 15+2.1/56+3.5 6+0.6/19+1.2 0.496 12.3c 62.65h
.25/344 23+2.7/102+3.1 15+2.4/43+3.3 4+0.4/17+0.6 0.471 12.2c 64.53gh
.30/354 19+3.3/98+3.9 14+2.9/35+3.1 6+0.3/21+0.3 0.435 11.0d 67.24gh
.35/325 18+2.1/87+3.8 13+2.8/29+3.3 2+0.1/8+1.2 0.382 10.1e 71.23efgh
Ck /357 88+5.2/304+4.1 25+3.9/112+5.3 12+1.2/56+2.1 1.328 35.0a
a
Shows the means+SD. Control efficiency (larvae/plant in ck – larva/plant in treatment/ larva/plant in ck) differed significantly between
treatments with 0.2, 0.25, 0.3 and 0.35 kg/ha (F23,48 ¼ 27.833, P 5 0.0001) and plant damage rate differed significantly among treatments with
0.2, 0.25, 0.3 and 0.35 kg/ha (F24,50 ¼ 2981.117, P 5 0.0001). Numbers in a column followed by the same letter are not significantly different
(.05%). N ¼ 3.
 358 R.-z. Chen and M.G. Klein
based on 10 years of research combining the best
trapping technology and the most effective pheromone
septa (Sheng et al. 2002, 2003; Chen et al. 2003, 2007a).
Pheromones also provide a viable alternative to
conventional calendar-based chemical applications.
Many pesticides have been reported to be effective
against the RSB (Pathak 1967; Sasmal et al. 1983; Li
and Li 1996; Chen et al. 2003; Tao et al. 2006; He et al.
2008; Yue et al., 2008; Fang et al. 2008; Haiping et al.
2009; Huang et al. 2011). It was important to establish
whether those insecticides work well in northeast
China, and whether doses previously considered to be
optimal were still valid. Of the 16 pesticides tested in
2010, deltamethrin, Cygon, chlorpyrifos, cartap, fipro-
nil and esfenvalerate provided 490% control of larvae
with acceptable plant damage (55.0%).
Field tests in 1999 to 2000 showed that monosultap
at 0.25 kg/ha was the most effective insecticide against
the RSB, while phoxim, esfenvalerate and cygon were
Downloaded by [Dalhousie University] at 12:30 21 May 2013
less effective (Chen et al. 2003). This indicates
insecticide resistance to phoxim and monosultap.
Cygon and esfenvalerate were as effective as before.
Pyrethroids are still one of the most commonly used
insecticides in China, and Haiping et al. (2009) reported
that endosulfan, deltamethrin, bifenthrin and cyfluthrin
work well at the low temperatures found in northeastern
China. Several studies have demonstrated that various
pyrethroids suppress larval populations of RSB (Yun
and Ding 2006; Tao et al. 2006; He et al. 2008). In the
present field trials, deltamethrin and esfenvalerate gave
adequate borer control, and can be recommended as
alternatives to organosulfur and organophosphorus
pesticides. Replacement insecticides are needed, since
the government has prohibited some organosulfur and
organophosphorus compounds, notably parathion, iso-
carbophos and monocrotophos, in paddy fields, due to
their high toxicity (No. 194,199,274,322 Notice of the
Ministry of Agriculture, People’s Republic of China,
MOA, 2002, 2003; Summary of the prohibited chemi-
cals in agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, People’s
Republic of China, MOA, 2008 ). Chlorpyrifos and
Cygon are relatively low-toxicity organophosphates
which were found to be effective in this study. In
addition, a phenylpyrazole insecticide (fipronil) has been
one of the main chemical control materials for RSB
(Fang et al. 2008),and provided effective control in the
field here. Cartap was effective against RSB in Taiwan
(Huang et al. 2011) and northeastern China (Chen et al.
2003) and was also effective here.
Chen et al. (2006) reported that if RSB borer damage
exceeds ca.7.7%, the subsequent rice yield loss will be
unacceptable. Teng et al. (1993) suggested that plants
with as high as 30% of the less serious dead hearts may
not suffer significant yield losses and as much as 10%
plant damage can be tolerated. Other authors have
shown that rice can compensate for some damage from
the white stem borer, Scirpophaga innotata (Walker)
(Rubia et al. 1996; Rubia Sanchez et al. 1998).
Muralidharan and Pasalu (2006) estimated that for
each 1% of dead hearts, white heads and deadheads
there is a 2.5, 4.0 and 6.4% yield loss, respectively. In
general, 5% plant damage is a good upper limit that will
be compatible with the best rice production practices.
The 2011 experiments focused on insecticide doses,
since in developing IPM programmes, a primary goal is
to avoid excessive use of chemicals. The six best
chemicals from 2010 were applied in rice paddies at
0.20–0.35 kg/ha. We established that when acceptable
plant damage is between 4.0 and 5.0%, deltamethrin,
Cygon or chlorpyrifos at 0.30 kg/ha can be recom-
mended, and if 54.0%, deltamethrin or chlorpyrifos
at 0.35 kg/ha, and Cygon at 0.30 kg/ha should be
recommended. Future research should address the
possibility of integrating biological control into an
IPM program for this rice pest, together with evalua-
tions of pesticide residues.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Research Institute of Foliage
Protection, Chinese Agriculture Academy of Sciences. We
thank Jilin Agricultural University’s experimental Station’s
staff for assistance in conducting this study. We also gratefully
acknowledge J. Zhang, assistant professor, Jilin Agricultural
University, for his help in providing the statistical treatments
utilized in Tables 1 and 2. Finally, we sincerely thank the three
Journal reviewers for their many helpful comments.
References
Antunes-Maderia MC, Maderia VMC. 1979. Interaction of
insecticides with lipid membranes. Biochim Biophys
Acta. 550:384–392.
Beevor PS, Hall D, Jones OT. 1990. Female sex pheromone
of Chilo spp. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and their devel-
opment in pest control applications. Insect Sci Appl.
11:787–794.
Casida, JE, Quistad GB. 1998. Golden age of insecticide
research: past, present, or future? Annu Rev Entomol.
43:1–16.
Chen J, Huang J, Hua J. 2010. Mapping rice planting areas in
southern China using the China Environment Satellite
Data. Math Comp Model. 54:1037–1043.
Chen R-z, Li Y. 2011. A novel plant volatile attractant
scheme to protect corn in China from the white-spotted
flower chafer (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). J
Pest Sci. 84:327–335.
Chen R-z, Zang L-s, Mu Y, Liu M, Sun G-z, Wang Z-m.
2003. Preliminary study on generation and chemical
prevention and control of Chilo suppressalis in Jilin
Province. J Jilin Agric Univ. 25:250–252, 256.
Chen R-z, Li X-y, Liu M, Yi B-r, Sheng C-f, Ma J-y. 2007a.
A preliminary study on generation of Chilo suppressalis
(Walker) in Changchun City using sex pheromone
technique. J Jilin Agric Sci. 32:37–39.
Chen R-z, Zheng H-b, Shi Z-f. 2007b. Preliminary study on
Trichogramma chilonis control on Chilo suppressalis in
Jilin Provence in China. J Jilin Agric Sci. 32:39–40.
Chen X, Wang L-r, Chen L. 2006. Studies on the action
threshold of Chilo suppressalis on rice in Shengyang
District. Laoning Agr Sci. 6:40–41.
Chi S-y, Peng Y, Wang Y-c, Han Z-j, Chen C-k. 2005.
Advances in the research of insecticide resistance of Chilo
suppressalis. Plant Prot. 31:3–6.

Cork A. 2004. Pheromone manual. Chatham (UK): Mar-
itime Natural Resources Institute.
Cork A, Hall DR. 1998. Application of pheromones for crop
pest management in the Indian Sub-Continent. J Asia-
Pacific Entomol. 1:35–49.
Dale D. 1994. Biology and management of rice insects. In:
Insect pests of the rice plant – their biology and ecology.
Los-Banos (Philippines): International Rice research
Institute. p. 363–485.
DRR [Directorate of Rice Research]. 2004a. Annual Progress
Reports 1965–2003. Hyderabad (India): All-India Co-
ordinated Rice Improvement Project (AI-CRIP).
DRR [Directorate of Rice Research]. 2004b. Production oriented
survey. Annual Reports 1965-2003. Hyderabad (India): All-
India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project (AI-CRIP).
Reports 1965–2003. Hyderabad (India): All-India Coordi-
nated Rice Improvement Project (AI-CRIP).
Du Z-w, Zhang X-x, Wang F-m. 1991. The Management of
rice pests in China. Beijing: Agricultural Press.
Fang Q, Huang C-h, Ye G-y, Yao H-w, Cheng J-a, Akhtar
Z-r. 2008. Differential fipronil susceptibility and metabo-
lism in two rice stem borers from China. J Econ Entomol.
Downloaded by [Dalhousie University] at 12:30 21 May 2013
101:1415–1420.
Gao J-s, Li W-m, Jing G-r. 1987. Discussion on the economic
threshold of the striped rice-stem borer (Chilo suppressa-
lis Walker). Acta Phytophyl Acica Sinica. 14:107–113.
Grist DH, Lever RJAW. 1969. Pests of rice. London:
Longmans, Green. 520 p.
Haiping L, Tao F, Xueyan S, Pei L, Qi Z, Xiwu G. 2009.
Effects of pyrethroids and endosulfan on fluidity of
mitochondria membrane in Chilo suppressalis (Walker).
Pesticide Biochem Physiol. 95:72–76.
He Y-p, Shao Z-r, Chen W-m, Liang G-m, Li Y-p. 2008.
Laboratory screening of alternative insecticides for highly
toxic insecticides against the striped stem borer (Chilo
suppressalis) on rice. Chinese J Rice Sci. 3:313–320.
Howse PE, Stevens IDR, Jones OT. 1998. Insect pests in rice.
In: Insect pheromones and their use in pest management.
London: Chapman & Hall. p. 325–330.
Huang Z-g, Zhang W-q. 2002. The origin and expansion of
cultivated rice in ancient China. Trop Geog. 22:76–79.
Huang J, Wu S-f, Ye G-y. 2011. Evaluation of lethal effects of
chlorantraniliprole on Chilo suppressalis and its larval
parasitoid, Cotesia chilonis. Agric Sci China. 10:1134–1138.
Khan ZR, Litsinger JA, Barrion AT, Villanueva FFD. 1991.
World bibliography of rice stem borers 1794–1990. Makati
(Philippines): International Rice Research Institute.
Li A-x, Li C-h. 1996. Chilo suppressalis and its management
strategies. Beijing: Chinese Agricultural Science and
Technology Press.
Liu TS. 1990. A survey on the occurrence of rice stem borers
and their damage in Taichung Area. Bull Taichung Plant
Prot Manual. 29:39–47.
Martins JD, Monteiro JP, Antunes-Madeira MC, Jurado AS,
Madeira VMC. 2003. Use of the microorganism Bacillus
stearothermophilus as a model to evaluate toxicity of the
lipophilic environmental pollutant endosulfan. Biochim
Biophys Acta. 1617:595–601.
Muralidharan K, Pasalu IC. 2006. Assessments of crop losses
in rice ecosystems due to stem borer damage (Lepidop-
tera: Pyralidae). Crop Prot. 25:409–417.
Nesbitt BF, Beevor PS, Hall DR, Dyck VA. 1975.
Identification of the female sex pheromones of the
moth Chilo suppressalis. J Insect Physiol. 21:1883–1886.
Pathak MD. 1967. Recent developments and future prospects
for the chemical control of rice stem borer at IRRI.
Proceedings of the symposium on major insect pests of rice
plants. Baltimore (MD): Johns Hopkins Press/Interna-
tional Rice Research Institute, Philippines. p. 335–349.
View publication stats
International Journal of Pest Management 359
Pathak MD. 1968. Ecology of common insect pests of rice.
Annu Rev Entomol. 13:257–294.
Pathak MD. 1977. Defense of the rice crop against pests. The
genetic basis of epidemics in agriculture. Ann NY Acad
Sci. 287:287–295.
Qin H-g, Hu S-x, Fang R. 1991. Studies on the action
threshold of rice striped borer on hybrid rice. Acta
Phytophyl Acica Sinica. 18:193–198.
Rao AV, Mahajan RK, Ramprasad AS. 1987. Distribution
of productive tillers and yield loss due to stem borer
infestation of rice. Indian J Agric Sci. 57:850–852.
Rubia EG, Heong KL, Zalucki M, Gonzales B, Norton GA.
1996. Mechanisms of compensation to stem borer injury
in rice plants. Crop Prot. 15:335–340.
Rubia Sanchez EG, Sigit DW, Nurhassyim D, Heong KL,
Zalucki M, Norton GA. 1998. Some factors affecting
white stem borer, Scirpophaga innotata (Walker) (Lepi-
doptera: Pyralidae), injury to rice. Crop Prot. 17:529–534.
Sarkar SN, Balasubramanian SV, Sikdar SK. 1993. Effect of
esfenvalerate, a pyrethroid insecticide on membrane
fluidity. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1147:137–142.
Sasmal S, Kulshrestha JP, Rajamani S. 1983. Chlorpyriphos
spraying is economical in controlling stem borer in rabi
rice. Int Rice Res Newslett. 4:3.
Sheng C-f, Kang Z-x, Chen R-z, Wang H-t., Xuan W-j. 2002.
Effect of storage duration of sex pheromone septa on
male catches of rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis
(Walker). Plant Prot. 28:9–11.
Sheng C-f, Xuan W-j, Yi B-r, Chen R-z, Qi X-n. 2003.
Monitoring seasonal dynamics and generations of the
rice stem borer male moths with sex pheromone in Jilin
Province in China. Chinese J Ecol. 22:79–81.
Tabien RE. 2011. Resistance to rice stem borers. Texas Rice.
11(4):1, 7–11.
Tao L-m, Liu X, Gu B-g, Shen J-l, Wang X-j, Song Y-q.
2006. A study on bioactivity of pyrethroid insecticides to
Chilo suppressalis. Chinese Agric Sci Bull. 22:291–294.
Tatsuki S, Kurihara M, Usui K, Ohguchi Y, Uchiumi K,
Fukami J, Arai K, Yabuki S, Tanaka F. 1983. Sex-
pheromone of the rice stem borer Chilo suppressalis
(Walker) (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae), the 3rd component.
Z-9-Hexadecenal. Appl Entomol Zool. 18:443–446.
Teng PS, Heong KL, Moody K. 1993. Advances in tropical
rice integrated pest management research. In: New
frontiers in rice research. Hyderabad (India): Directorate
of Rice Research. p. 241–255.
Viajante V, Heinrichs EA. 1987. Plant age effects of rice
cultivar IR 46 on the susceptibility to the yellow stem
borer Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker) (Lepidoptera :
Pyralidae). Crop Prot. 6:33–37.
Wellington LB, Silvia MSCC, Eva GSC, Maria EM, Rocha
MB. 2004. Effects of deltamethrin on function of rat
mitochondria and on native and synthetic model
membrane. Toxicol Lett. 152: 191–202.
Yue P-h, Cong F-g, Wen M-c, Li Q-h, Wei J-z, X G-l, Jin L-s,
Yu C-z. 2008. Comparison of dose responses and
resistance ratios in four populations of the rice stem
borer, Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), to 20
insecticides. Pest Manage Sci. 64:308–315.
Yun X-f, Ding C-h. 2006. Formulation on sieving experiment
of tebufenozide and cypermethrin controlling paddy rice.
Mod Agrochem. 5:53–55.
Zhao S-x, Wu Z-f, Shen J-p. 1994. Studies on the action
threshold of rice striped borer on regenerate rice. Acta
Phytophyl Acica Sinica. 21:141–146.
Zheng J. 2007. Discussion on the economic threshold of the
striped rice-stem borer (Chilo suppressalis Walker).
Jiangsun Agr Sci. 9:24–26.