Planthoppers: New Threats to the Sustainability of Intensive Rice Production Systems in Asia

Rice is the staple food for around half the world’s people and about three-quarters of a billion of the world’s poor depend on rice. Each year, an additional 50 million rice consumers are added to the world population, which means that rice production will need to increase markedly. Lowland rice provides more than 75% of the world’s annual supply. For the world rice supply, these areas are likely to intensify through new high-yielding varieties and improved cultivation practices. But they are also vulnerable to threats from pests. With increases in agricultural labor and inputs, farmers face a dilemma as their income is squeezed. Adding more burden to their livelihoods are unstable yields caused by pest outbreaks. One of the most…