Yunnan, China infested by the white backed planthoppers (WBPH)

by
Jiaan Cheng
Professor, Zhejiang University
Hangzhou, PR China

Map showing the province of Yunnan and counties infested (in red)

Yunnan province is situated in the Southern Western part of China. The main agricultural activity there is tobacco but rice is an important food crop grown in about 1 million ha. Their average rice yield is 6 tons/ha and most farmers have adopted hybrid rice varieties.

A: Rice fields with spots of hopperburn. B: Close-up of plants serious affected by WBPH feeding. C: Close-up of WBPH on leaf

Early planthopper immigrants were observed in March 2009 which was about 10 days earlier than usual in Yunnan and 99% of them were WBPH. The highest daily records under light traps in Jinping and Jiangcheng counties were 92,400 on May 6 and 65,368 on April 16, respectively. The total catches under light traps from March to Mid-May in the two counties were 0.1-0.2 millions and were the highest ever recorded.

Dead WBPH on the water surface. B: A pile of WBPH caught in one light trap a night.

The infested areas included 56 counties in the southern part of Yunnan (close to Vietnam, Laos and Thailand). Total areas infested with high WBPH densities of about 10 to 30 per hill were about 6 millions Mu (~ 400,000 ha) and the insecticide control areas were more than 10 millons Mu.  The highest density observed was 525 hoppers per hill.

Filed under: Insecticide resistance, Planthoppers | Tagged: white backed planthopper, Yunnan infested by WBPH

5 Responses

1. K.L. Heong, on August 19, 2009 at 11:59 am Said:

   Prof Cheng
   The pictures show crops at very young stages being damaged by WBPH. Does this mean that the WBPH infesting the southern districts of Yunnan were immigrating adults? And if so do you think this was due to mass displacement from another place? And where?
2. J.A. Cheng, on August 19, 2009 at 2:42 pm Said:

   Yes. The picture show damages of rice seedlings caused by WBPH adults and these adults were immigrants since it is not possible for the WBPH to develop a generation seedling stage. The possible source area of these immigrants may be from somewhere in Vietnam, Laos, Mynmar or Thailand because the infesting areas in Yunnan were at the border of these countries and the prevailing winds at that time were from south to north. There were no WBPH source in China at that time. I will be happy to get more information on WBPH problems in these possible source areas. J.A. Cheng
3. Planthopper outbreaks in 2009 «, on September 24, 2009 at 4:47 am Said:

   [...] Planthopper immigrants in March caused damages to seedling in Yunnan. 99% were WBPH. 56 counties in the southern part of Yunnan (close to Vietnam, Laos and Thailand) infested. Total area about 6 millions Mu (~ 400,000 ha).  Highest density 525 hoppers per hill. http://ricehoppers.net/2009/08/18/yunnan-china-infested-by-the-white-backed-planthoppers-wbph/ [...]
4. Brown planthopper problem in New York Times «, on October 15, 2009 at 4:58 pm Said:

   [...] first time experienced direct damages at the seedling stages caused by the WBPH immigrants (link to http://ricehoppers.net/2009/08/18/yunnan-china-infested-by-the-white-backed-planthoppers-wbph/ ). In August this year, outbreaks of the BPH occurred in 15 provinces in Central Thailand promoting [...]
5. Planthopper research in China gains MOST support «, on November 8, 2009 at 3:46 pm Said:

   [...] planthopper pr… on Campaign to manage planthopper…Brown planthopper pr… on Yunnan, China infested by the …Brown planthopper pr… on r – K pests of rice and …Brown planthopper pr… [...]