New Tool For Farmers To ID Rice Pests

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The LSU AgCenter offers an easy-to-use online tool for farmers who don't know what's eating their rice plants. Smart phones can reach it from the field.

At www.lsuagcenter.com/ricepestguide, it starts with two drawings. Users choose where the bug is attacking their plants. Then they choose from photos and descriptions of different types of damage, usually two to four to a page.

Working their way down, they reach an identification, what to look for, and how to manage the bug.

Entomologist Natalie Hummel says Louisiana is home to most rice pests, so farmers outside the state are likely to use the site. She said they should be aware that its pesticide recommendations may not be approved in their states.

Other rice-growing states include Arkansas, California, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas.