Management of bakanae disease of rice caused by Fusarium moniliforme

Abstract

Roving survey of paddy (Oryza sativa L.) growing areas of Haryana indicated that the incidence of bakanae caused by Fusarium moniliforme Sheld. has increased considerably since its first record during kharif 1988. It has attained the status of major disease particularly in scented varieties of rice in the state. The disease incidence was significantly low when carbendazim treated and untreated seeds were sown under dry condition compared to conventional method of sowing sprouted seeds in puddled beds. However, in both the seed treatment methods, i.e. dry seed treatment and seed soaking in carbendazim solution at 1 and 2 g/kg seed, the disease was suppressed considerably. Bakanae incidence reduced drastically when paddy nursery was uprooted in standing water compared to uprooting of nursery in vattar condition. In addition to seed treatment, sand mix application of carbendazim in nursery beds at 1 g/m2 seven days before uprooting of seedlings and as seedling dip in 0.1 per cent carbendazim solution for 3 hours before transplanting curtailed the bakanae incidence in transplanted crop. Foliar application of carbendazim at flowering stage reduced the grain infection of F. moniliforme from 73.9 to 35.0 percent. Out of 192 scented rice genotypes, 11 genotypes namely HKR 96-561, HKR 96-565, HKR 07-40, HKR 07-53, HKR 08-13, HKR 08-21, HKR 08-22, MAUB 2009-1, PAU 3456-46-6-1-1 and PNR 600, RDN 01-2-10-9 were found highly resistant while 38 genotypes proved moderately resistant. The remaining genotypes were moderately susceptible to highly susceptible.