Directive No. 26/2006/CT-BNN on preventing and controlling yellow dwarf and leaf curl diseases caused by brown planthoppers in summer-autumn rice in the Mekong Delta region.

DIRECTIVE
On preventing the yellow stunt and leaf curl disease caused by brown planthopper in early summer rice in the Mekong Delta region
Currently, early summer rice in the Mekong Delta and southern provinces has been planted on over 300,000 hectares, with 13,402 hectares affected by brown planthoppers, particularly seriously, brown planthoppers have transmitted yellow stunt and leaf curl disease to early summer rice, covering approximately 329 hectares, of which 179 hectares are severely affected and scattered in Dong Thap, Long An, Tra Vinh, and Tien Giang provinces. 

To thoroughly prevent the spread of yellow stunt and leaf curl disease caused by brown planthoppers to widely planted summer rice in the Mekong Delta and southern provinces, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development issues the following urgent tasks:

1. Continue to maintain the operation of the Steering Committee for Brown Planthopper Prevention and Control in the Mekong Delta provinces under the Ministry in coordination with the provincial/city Steering Committees and all levels to actively direct and inspect the work of brown planthopper control and thoroughly prevent the spread of yellow stunt and leaf curl disease in the Mekong Delta.

2. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall mobilize plant protection, crop production, and agricultural extension forces at the provincial/city level to go down to the grassroots level to grasp the situation, organize training for farmers on early detection of diseases, and organize quarantine and destruction of infected fields.

3. The Plant Protection Department shall instruct provincial/city Plant Protection Branches to continuously monitor the development of pest and disease situations in summer rice, implement forecasting and warning activities regarding brown planthoppers and rice pests to provide timely information to farmers, and simultaneously provide information to mass media outlets for dissemination.

4. Promote knowledge and guidance on preventing yellow stunt and leaf curl disease, effectively manage the density of brown planthoppers from the beginning of the season through integrated pest management (IPM), "three reductions, three increases," and avoid spraying insecticides in the first 40 days after sowing.

5. In areas where rice is currently infected with yellow stunt or leaf curl disease, the provincial/city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall instruct the Plant Protection Branch to quarantine and destroy infected areas using the following measures:

- Spraying brown planthoppers in infected fields to prevent their spread to other fields.

- Uprooting or spraying non-selective herbicides (paraquat, glyphosate) for destruction, followed by plowing and burying.

6. The People's Committee of the province/city shall allocate disaster prevention funds to support farmers whose fields have been destroyed to replant or switch to suitable crops in the area.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development requests the Directors of the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of provinces/cities in the Mekong Delta and southern regions, and the heads of relevant units under the Ministry to urgently implement the above contents and regularly report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on the implementation of this directive./.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development requests the Directors of the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of provinces/cities directly under the Central Government in the Mekong Delta and Southern regions, and the Heads of relevant units under the Ministry to promptly implement the above contents and regularly report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on the implementation of this Directive./.