Incidence of Rice Gall Midge, Orseolia oryzae (Wood-Mason) in Early and Late Sown Crop

Field surveys were conducted to ascertain the incidence of gall midge (Orseolia oryzae) in four major rice-growing villages of Bapatla district viz., Karlapalem, Jammulapalem, Appikatla and Kankatapalem. The study focused on five widely cultivated rice varieties viz. BPT 5204, BPT 2595, BPT 2270, MTU 1262 and BPT 2782. Gall midge infestation was highest in BPT 5204 (16.27 per cent silver shoots) at Kankatapalem village, followed by BPT 2595 and BPT 2270 at the same village. Relatively high incidence was also observed in BPT 5204 and BPT 2595 at Jammulapalem village. In contrast, least incidence of silver shoots was in BPT 2782 at Karlapalem, BPT 2782 at Appikatla, MTU 1262 at Karlapalem and BPT 2782 at Jammulapalem village. Overall, the results indicate that BPT 5204 and BPT 2595 were more susceptible to gall midge, while BPT 2782 and MTU 1262 exhibited relatively lower levels of infestation, suggesting potential suitability of these for cultivation in gall midge-prone areas.