False Smut in Paddy Crop (ਝੋਨੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਹਲਦੀ ਰੋਗ ਆ ਗਿਆ , ਹੁਣ ਕੀ ਕਰੀਏ) Shergill Markhai

Conditions that favour disease development presence of rain and high humidity presence of soils with high nitrogen content presence of wind for dissemination of the spores from plant to plant presence of overwintering fungus as sclerotia and chlamydospores flowering stage of the rice crop Preventive methods Use of disease-free seeds that are selected from healthy crop. Seed treatment with carbendazim 2.0g/kg of seeds. Control insect pests. Split application of nitrogen is recommended. Removal and proper disposal of infected plant debris. Cultural methods Among the cultural control, destruction of straw and stubble from infected plants is recommended to reduce the disease. Use varieties that are found to be resistant or tolerant against the disease in India. Avoid field activities when the plants are wet. Early planted crop has less smut balls than the late planted crop. At the time of harvesting, diseased plants should be removed and destroyed so that sclerotia do not fall in the field. This will reduce primary inoculum for the next crop. Field bunds and irrigation channels should be kept clean to eliminate alternate hosts. Excess application of nitrogenous fertilizer should be avoided. Regular monitoring of disease incidence during rabi season is very essential. Proper Destruction of straw and stubble. Chemical methods Spraying of copper oxychloride at 2.5 g/litre or Propiconazole at 1.0 ml/litre at boot leaf and milky stages will be more useful to prevent the fungal infection. Seed treatment with carbendazim 2.0g/kg of seeds. At tillering and preflowering stages, spray Hexaconazole @ 1ml/lit or Chlorothalonil 2g/lit. In areas where the disease may cause yield loss, applying captan, captafol, fentin hydroxide, and mancozeb can be inhibited conidial germination. At tillering and preflowering stages, spraying of carbendazim fungicide and copper base fungicide can effectively control the disease.

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