DISEASE OF CROPS: RICE BLAST

EPISODE 3: RICE BLAST

 

 

Rice blast is a disease caused by the fungus Piricularia oryzae

Symptoms:  It occurs as leaf spots on young leaves with severe lesions on the sheaths. It attack is on the inflorescence, the whole panicle turns whitish as a result of being covered with hyphae of the fungus. Grain yield is drastically reduced.

Transmission

1.       It can be transmitted through the seed

2.       The fungal spores are air borne and can infect young leaves

Control

1.       Use of resistant varieties.

2.       Use of disease free seeds.

3.        Timing of planting to avoid periods of high humidity which favour the spread of the disease

4.       Seed dressing with fungicides e.g lime Bordeaux mixture

5.       Spraying of crops with fungicides e.g Bordeaux Mixture