Stem borer infestation is a common challenge in rice fields, often managed through synthetic insecticides application, which pose environmental and health risks. A field experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Regional Station, Rangpur, during the T. Aman (July-November) 2022 and Boro (November-June) 2022–23 seasons to evaluate the efficacy of insecticides, botanicals, and hand sweeping in managing stem borer. The study employed a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications and five treatments: T1=control, T2=tobacco dust, T3=chloropyrips, T4=sweeping and T5=tobacco extract. Chlorpyrifos consistently reduced ‘deadheart’ and ‘whitehead’ symptoms, followed closely by tobacco dust and tobacco extract. Yield analysis revealed that chlorpyrifos resulted in a 13.43% yield increase over the control in T. Aman, while tobacco dust and tobacco extract both showed 10.22% increases. Similar trends were observed in the Boro season, with yield increases of 10.98% (chlorpyrifos), 6.66% (tobacco 30 dust), and 7.99% (tobacco extract). Correlation analysis revealed that higher ‘deadheart’ and ‘whitehead’ symptoms significantly reduced tiller number, panicle number, and grain yield, while filled grains and panicle length increased. Rice plants demonstrated resilience by reallocating resources during the reproductive stage to mitigate yield losses. Tobacco-based treatments offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic insecticides for stem borer management, reducing yield loss and environmental risks.
Integrated Pest Management; Tobacco extracts; Eco-friendly; Whitehead; Dead-heart; Botanicals
Roy, T.K., Akter, S., Moniruzzaman Kabir, M., Shahriah Tonmoy, S.M.M., Sharmin, S., Riad, A., Rana, M., Biswas, A., Uddin, A., Sannal, A. (2025): Strategic Management of Rice Stem Borer: Evaluating Tobacco Based Alternatives to Reducing Insecticide Dependency. Scientia Agriculturae Bohemica, 56, 3, 13, DOI: 10.7160/sab.2025.560313