Rice Sheath Blight: A Review of Disease and Pathogen Management Approaches

Abstract

Rice is an important food grain and is a staple food for majority of the world’s population. To meet increasing global demand and consumption, rice productivity must be enhanced. However, biotic stresses such as diseases have impeded rice cultivation both in the tropics and subtropics. Of them, sheath blight is a major soil borne disease causing economic losses to rice cultivation. This article summarizes sheath blight (ShB) of rice, disease etiology and economics. Elaborative and updated accounts of various management options and their efficacy for ShB control are given. Specifically, the effects of popular cultural practices influencing ShB incidence, various chemical fungicides, and biological control individually and their combined effect on ShB are presented. The role of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and various genera of PGPR in ShB suppression are discussed. The present review also showed various aspects relating to ShB suppression by PGPR such as antagonism, competition for space and essential nutrients, and induction of systemic resistance. Integrated management of ShB involving all the compatible combinations is included in this review.