Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, Vol. 20(4) 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc.
Regular samplings of two important vectors in farmers’
fields were made at crop stages susceptible to rice yellow mottle virus on
a traditional rice variety (Supa) under rainfed lowland conditions to pro-
vide information on the dynamic nature of the disease and the bionomics
and importance of vectors in the disease transmission. The population of an unknown Chaetocnema sp. was significantly higher in hotspot than
non-hotspot areas. However, there was no significant difference in C.
pulla Chapuis population between both areas. In general the unkown
Chaetocnema sp. population was higher than C. pulla, and both vectors
reached the peak of their population at 63 days after planting. Also, early
planting in the hotspot areas is suggested as a disease management strategy.