[Effects of rice-duck farming system on biotic populations in paddy field]

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of rice-duck farming on the related biotic populations in paddy field. The results showed that rice-duck farming had greater effects on the occurrence and damage of pests, pathogens and weeds, as well as the amount of pests' natural enemies in paddy field. The population of rice planthopper and leafhopper decreased by 64.8% and 78.5% after 12 and 42 days of duck-release, and the weeds decreased by 67.7% and 98.1% after 15 and 45 days of duck-release, respectively, compared with the control. The sheath blight index at the maximum tillering stage and full-heading stage in the rice-duck plots were 40.4% and 62.0% lower than those in the control plot, respectively. The population of spiders in duck-released field was increased obviously, which in turn decreased the damage of rice pests.