1.

Diseases of Rice
Fungal Diseases
Blast - Pyricularia oryzae (Syn: P. grisea) (Sexual stage: Magnaporthe grisea)
Symptoms
The fungus attacks the crop at all stages of crop growth. Symptoms appear on leaves,
nodes, rachis, and glumes. On the leaves, the lesions appear as small bluish green flecks, which
enlarge under moist weather to form the characteristic spindle shaped spots with grey centre and
dark brown margin (Leaf blast).
The spots coalesce as the disease progresses and large areas of the leaves dry up and
wither. Spots also appear on sheath. Severely infected nursery and field appear as burnt. Black
lesions appear on nodes girdling them. The affected nodes may break up and all the plant parts
above the infected nodes may die (nodal blast).
During flower emergence, the fungus attacks the peduncle and the lesion turns to
brownish-black which is referred to as rotten neck / neck rot / panicle blast (neck blast).
In early neck infection, grain filling does not occur while in late infection, partial grain
filling occurs. Small brown to black spots may also be observed on glumes of the heavily
infected panicles. The pathogen causes yield losses ranging from 30-61 per cent depending upon
the stages of infection.

Leaf blast
Pathogen
The mycelium is hyaline to olivaceous and septate. Conidia are produced in clusters on
long septate, olivaceous conidiophores. Conidia are pyriform to ellipsoid, attached at the broader
base by a hilum. Conidia are hyaline to pale olive green, usually 3 celled. The perfect state of the
fungus is M. grisea producing perithecia. The ascospores are hyaline, fusiform, 4 celled and
slightly curved.

Conidia and Conidiophore

of P. grisea

Favourable Conditions
• Intermittent drizzles, cloudy weather, more of rainy days, longer duration of dew
high relative humidity (93-99 per cent).
• Low night temperature (between 15-20˚C or less than 26˚C).
• Aavailability of collateral hosts and excess dose of nitrogen.

Forecast for rice blast can be made on the basis of minimum night temperature
range of 20-26˚C in association with a high relative humidity of 90 per cent and above lasting for
a period of a week or more during any of the three susceptible phases of crop growth, viz.,
seedling stage, post transplanting tillering stage and neck emergence stage. In Japan, the first leaf
blast forecasting model was developed named as BLAST. Later several other models have also
been developed namely, PYRICULARIA, PYRIVIEW, BLASTAM, EPIBLA and PBLAST.
Disease Cycle
The disease spreads primarily through airborne conidia since spores of the fungus present
throughout the year. Mycelium and conidia in the infected straw and seeds are major sources of
inoculum. Irrigation water may carry the conidia to different fields.The fungus also survives on
collateral hosts viz., Panicum repens, Digitaria marginata, Brachiaria mutica, Leersia hexandra
and Echinochloa crusgalli.
 Spores land on leaves, germinate, penetrate the leaf, and cause a lesion 4 days later; more
spores are produced in as little as 6 days. Infections from spores arriving from a distance are
termed primary infections.

Primary infections generally result in a few widely scattered spots on leaves. Spores
arising from the primary infections are capable of causing many more infections. This cycling is
called secondary spread. Secondary spread is responsible for the severe epidemics of blast in
fields and localized areas.
Management
• Grow resistant to moderately resistant varieties CO47, IR 20, ADT36, ADT39, ASD 18
and IR64. Avoid cultivation of highly susceptible varieties viz., IR50 and TKM6 in
disease favourable season.
• Remove and destory the weed hosts in the field bunds and channels.
• Treat the seeds with Captan or Thiram or Carbendazim or Tricyclazole at 2 g/kg. or
Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 10g/kg of seed. Spray the nursery with carbendazim
500mg/L or tricyclazole 300mg/L.
 • Spray the main field with Edifenphos 500 ml or Carbendazim 500 g or Tricyclazole 500
g or Iprobenphos (IBP) 500 ml /ha.

Brown Spot - Helminthosporium oryzae (Syn: Drechslera oryzae; Bipolaris oryzae)

(Sexual stage: Cochliobolus miyabeanus)
Symptoms
The fungus attacks the crop from seedling to milky stage in main field. Symptoms appear
as minute spots on the coleoptile, leaf blade, leaf sheath, and glume, being most prominent on the
leaf blade and glumes.

Leaf symptoms Glume infection

The spots become cylindrical or oval, dark brown with yellow halo later becoming
circular. Several spots coalesce and the leaf dries up. The seedlings die and affected nurseries
can be often recognised from a distance by scorched appearance. Dark brown or black spots also
appear on glumes leading to grain discoloration. It causes failure of seed germination, seedling
mortality and reduces the grain quality and weight.
Pathogen
 Bipolaris oryzae produces brown septate mycelium. Conidiophores arise singly or in
small groups. They are geniculate, brown in colour. Conidia are usually curved with a bulged
center and tapered ends. They are pale to golden brown in colour and are 6-14 septate. The
perfect stage of the fungus is C. miyabeanus.

It produces perithecia with asci containing 6-15 septate, filamentous or long cylinderical,
hyaline to pale olive green ascospores. The fungus produces terpenoid phytotoxins called
ophiobolin A (or Cochliobolin A), ophiobolin B (or cochliobolin B) and ophiobolin I.
Ophiobolin A is most toxic. These breakdown the protein fragment of cell wall resulting in
partial disruption of integrity of cell.

Coidia and Conidiophore

Favourable Conditions
• Temperature of 25-30˚C with relative humidity above 80 per cent are highly favourable.
• Excess of nitrogen aggravates the disease severity.
Disease Cycle
Infected seeds and stubbles are the most common source of primary infection.
The conidia present on infected grain and mycelium in the infected tissue are viable for 2 to 3
years. Airborne conidia infect the plants both in nursery and in main field.

The fungus also survives on collateral hosts like Leersia hexandra and Echinochloa
colonum. The brown spot fungus is normally present in areas with a long history of rice culture.
Airborne spores that are capable of causing infection are produced in infested debris and
older lesions.
Management
• Field sanitation-removal of collateral hosts and infected debris from the field.
• Use of slow release nitrogenous fertilizers is advisable.
• Grow tolerant varieties viz., Co44 and Bhavani.
• Use disease free seeds.
• Treat the seeds with Thiram or Captan at 4 g/kg. Spray the nursery with Edifenphos 40
ml or Mancozeb 80 g for 20 cent nursery.
• Spray the crop in the main field with Edifenphos 500 ml or Mancozeb 2 kg/ha when
grade reaches 3. If needed repeat after 15 days.
Narrow brown leaf spot - Cercospora janseana (Sexual stage: Sphaerulina oryzina)
Symptoms
The fungus produces short, linear brown spots mostly on leaves and also on sheaths,
pedicels and glumes. The spots appear in large numbers during later stages of crop growth.

Symptoms
Pathogen
Conidiophores are produced in groups and brown in colour. Conidia are hyaline or sub
hyaline, cylindrical and 3-5 septate.
Management
Spray Carbendazim 500 g or Mancozeb 2 kg/ha.

Sheath rot - Sarocladium oryzae (Syn: Acrocylindrium oryzae)

Symptoms
Initial symptoms are noticed only on the upper most leaf sheath enclosing young
panicles. The flag leaf sheath show oblong or irregular greyish brown spots. They enlarge and
develop grey centre and brown margins covering major portions of the leaf sheath.
The young panicles remain within the sheath or emerge partially. The panicles rot and
abundant whitish powdery fungal growth is seen inside the leaf sheath.

Symptoms
Pathogen
The fungus produces whitish, sparsely branched, septate mycelium. Conidia are hyaline,
smooth, single celled and cylindrical in shape.
Favourable Conditions
• Closer planting
• High doses of nitrogen
• High humidity and temperature around 25-30˚C
• Injuries made by leaf folder, brown plant hopper and mites increase infection
Disease Cycle
The disease spreads mainly through air-borne conidia and also seed-borne. Primary
source of inoculum is by means of infected plant debris. Secondary spread is by means of air
borne conidia produced on the leaf sheath.
Management
• Spray Carbendazim 500g or Edifenphos 1L or Mancozeb 2 kg/ha at boot leaf stage and
15 days later.
• Soil application of gypsum (500 kg/ha) in two splits.
• Application of Neem Seed Kernal Extract (NSKE) 5% or neem oil 3 % or Ipomoea or
Prosopis leaf powder extract 25 Kg/ha. First spray at boot leaf stage and second 15 days
later.

Sheath blight - Rhizoctonia solani (Sexual stage: Thanetophorus cucumeris)

Symptoms
The fungus affects the crop from tillering to heading stage. Initial symptoms are noticed
on leaf sheaths near water level. On the leaf sheath oval or elliptical or irregular greenish grey
spots are formed. As the spots enlarge, the centre becomes greyish white with an irregular
blackish brown or purple brown border.
Lesions on the upper parts of plants extend rapidly coalesing with each other to cover
entire tillers from the water line to the flag leaf. The presence of several large lesions on a leaf
sheath usually causes death of the whole leaf, and in severe cases all the leaves of a plant may be
blighted
 Symptoms

The infection extends to the inner sheaths resulting in death of the entire plant. Older
plants are highly susceptible. Plants heavily infected in the early heading and grain filling growth
stages produce poorly filled grain, especially in the lower part of the panicle.

Pathogen
The fungus produces septate mycelium which are hyaline when young, yellowish brown
when old. It produces large number of spherical brown sclerotia.

Favourable Conditions
• High relative humidity (96-97 per cent), high temperature (30-32˚C).
• Closer planting.
• Heavy doses of nitrogenous fertilizers.
Disease cycle
 The pathogen can survive as sclerotia or mycelium in dry soil for about 20 months but for
5-8 months in moist soil. Sclerotia spread through irrigation water. The fungus has a wide host
range.

Management
• Grow resistant varieties like Mansarovar, Swarau Dhan, Pankaj etc.
• Apply organic amendments viz., neem cake @ 150Kg/ha or FYM 12.5 tons/ha. Avoid
flow of irrigation water from infected fields to healthy fields.
• Deep ploughing in summer and burning of stubbles.
• Spray Carbendazim 500 g/ha
• Soil application of P.fluorescens @ of 2.5 kg/ha after 30 days of transplanting (product
should be mixed with 50 kg of FYM/Sand and applied).
• Foliar spray P.fluorescens at 0.2% at boot leaf stage and 10 days later

False smut - Ustilaginoidea virens (Syn: Claviceps oryzae - sativa)

Symptoms
 The fungus transforms individual ovaries / grains into greenish spore balls of velvetty
appearance. Only a few spikelets in a panicle are affected.

Symptoms

Pathogen
Chlamydospores are formed as spore balls which are spherical to elliptical, warty and
olivaceous.

Spore balls
Disease Cycle
Grasses and wild rice species are alternate hosts. The main source of inoculum is air-
borne spores. Ascospores produced from sclerotia act as primary source of infection while
chalmydospores are secondary source of infection. Chlamydospores are air - borne, abundant at
heading stage.
Favorable conditions
• Rainfall and cloudy weather during flowering and maturity
Udbatta disease - Ephelis oryzae (Sexual stage: Balansia oryzae-sativa)
Symptoms
Symptoms appear at the time of panicle emergence. The entire ear head is converted into
a straight compact cylindrical black spike like structure since the infected panicle is matted
together by the fungal mycelium. The spikelets are cemented to the central rachis and the size is
remarkably reduced. The entire spike is covered by greyish stroma with convex pycnidia
immersed inside.

Pathogen Symptoms
Pycnidiospores are hyaline, needle shaped and 4-5 celled.
Management
• The pathogen is internally seed borne.
• Hot water seed treatment at 45˚C for 10 min. effectively controls the disease.
• Removal of collateral hosts Isachne elegans, Eragrostis tenuifolia and Cynadon dactylon.

Stackburn disease - Trichoconis padwickii (Syn: Alternaria padwickii)

Symptoms
Leaves and ripening grains are affected. On leaves circular to oval spots with dark brown
margins are formed. The center of the spot turns light brown or white with numerous minute
dots. On the glumes reddish brown spots appear. The kernels may shrivel and become brittle.
 Symptoms
Pathogen
Conidia are elongated with a long beak at the tip, 3 to 5 septate, thick walled and
constricted at the septa.
Management
• Treat the seeds with Thiram or Captan or Mancozeb at 2g/kg.
• Hot water treatment at 54˚ C for 15 minutes is also effective.
• Burn the stubbles and straw in the field.
Bunt or Kernel Smut or black smut - Tilletia barclayana
Minute black pustules or streaks are formed on the grains which burst open at the time of
ripening. The grains may be partially or entirely replaced by the fungal spores. The sorus pushes
the glumes apart exposing the black mass of spores. Only a few flowers are infected in an
inflorescence. The fungus survives as chlamydospores for one or more years under normal
condition and 3 years in stored grains.

Symptoms
Stem rot – Sclerotium oryzae (Sexual stage: Magnaporthe salvinii)
Symptoms
Small black lesions are formed on the outer leaf sheath and they enlarge and reach the
inner leaf sheath also. The affected tissues rot and abundant small black sclerotia are seen in the
rotting tissues. The culm collapses and plants lodge. The sclerotia are carried in stubbles after
harvest.

Symptoms
Pathogen
White to greyish hyphae, spherical black and shiny sclerotia, visible to naked eyes as
black masses.
Favourable Conditions
• Infestation of leaf hoppers and stem borer.
• High doses of nitrogenous fertilizers.
Disease Cycle
The sclerotia survive in stubbles and straw those are carried through irrigation water. The
fungus over winters and survives for long periods as sclerotia in the upper layers (2-3 inches) of
the soil profile. The half-life of sclerotia in the field is about 2 years. Viable sclerotia have been
found in fields for up to 6 years after a rice crop. The sclerotia are buoyant and float to the
surface of floodwater where they contact, germinate, and infect rice tillers near the water line.
Management
• Deep ploughing in summer and burning stubbles to eliminate sclerotia.
 • Use of balanced application of fertilizer.
• Avoid flow of irrigation water from infected to healthy fields.
• Draining irrigation water and letting soil to dry.

Foot rot or Bakanae disease - Fusarium moniliforme (Sexual stage: Gibberella fujikuroi)
Symptoms
Infected seedlings in nursery are lean and lanky, much taller and die after some time. In
the main field, the affected plants have tall lanky tillers with longer internodes and aerial
adventitious roots from the nodes above ground level. The root system is fibrous and bushy. The
plants are killed before earhead formation or they produce only sterile spikelets. When the culm
is split open white mycelial growth can be seen.

Symptoms

Pathogen
Fungus produces both macroconidia and microconidia. Microconidia are hyaline, single
celled and oval. Macroconidia are slightly sickle shaped, and two to five celled.The fungus
produces the phytotoxin , fusaric acid, which is non-host specific.
 Micro and macro conidia

Management
• The fungus is externally seed-borne.
• Treat the seeds with Thiram or Captan or Carbendazim at 2 g/kg.

Grain discolouration - Drechslera oryzae, D. rostratum, D.tetramera, Curvularia lunata,

Trichoconis padwickii, Sarocladium oryzae, Alternaria tenuis, Fusarium moniliforme,
Cladosporium herbarum, Epicoccum purpurascens, Cephalosporium sp., Phoma sp.,
Nigrospora sp.
Symptoms
The grains may be infected by various organisms before or after harvesting causing
discoloration, the extent of which varies according to season and locality. The infection may be
external or internal causing discoloration of the glumes or kernels or both. Dark brown or black
spots appear on the grains.
The discoloration may be red, yellow, orange, pink or black, depending upon the
organism involved and the degree of infection. This disease is responsible for quantitative and
qualitative losses of grains.
 Symptoms
Favourable Conditions
• High humidity and cloudy weather during heading stage
Disease cycle
The disease spreads mainly through air-borne conidia and the fungus survives as parasite
and saprophyte in the infected grains, plant debris and also on other crop debris.
Management
• Pre and post-harvest measures should be taken into account for prevention of grain
discolouration.
• Spray the crop at boot leaf stage and at 50% flowering with Carbendazim + Mancozeb
(1:1) @ 0.2%.
• Store the grains with 13.5-14% moisture content.

Bacterial Disesases
Bacterial leaf blight - Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
Symptoms
The disease is usually noticed at the time of heading but it can occur earlier also.
Seedlings in the nursery show circular, yellow spots in the margin, that enlarge, coalesce leading
to drying of foliage. “Kresek” symptom is seen in seedlings, 1-2 weeks after transplanting. The
bacteria enter through the cut wounds in the leaf tips, become systemic and cause death of entire
seedling.
 Kresek symptom Leaf blight symptom

In grown up plants water soaked, translucent lesions appear near the leaf margin. The
lesions enlarge both in length and width with a wavy margin and turn straw yellow within a few
days, covering the entire leaf. As the disease advances, the lesions cover the entire lamina which
turns white or straw coloured. Milky or opaque dew drops containing bacterial masses are
formed on young lesions in the early morning. They dry up on the surface leaving a white
encrustation. The affected grains have discoloured spots. If the cut end of leaf is dipped in water,
it becomes turbid because of bacterial ooze.
Pathogen
The bacterium is aerobic, gram negative, non spore forming, rod with size ranging from
1-2 x 0.8-1.0
m with monotrichous polar flagellum. Bacterial colonies are circular, convex with
entire margins, whitish yellow to straw yellow colored and opaque.

Bacterium

Favorable Conditions
• Clipping of tip of the seedling at the time of transplanting
 • Heavy rain, heavy dew, flooding, deep irrigation water
• Severe wind and temperature of 25-30 C
• Application of excessive nitrogen, especially late top dressing
Disease Cycle
The infected seeds as a source of inoculum may not be important since the bacteria
decrease rapidly and die in the course of seed soaking. The pathogen survives in soil and in the
infected stubbles and on collateral hosts Leersia spp., Plantago najor, Paspalum dictum, and
Cyanodon dactylon. The pathogen spreads through irrigation water and also through rain storms.
Management
• Burn the stubbles.
• Use optimum dose of fertilizers.
• Avoid clipping of tip of seedling at the time of transplanting.
• Avoid flooded conditions. Remove weed hosts.
• Grow resistant cultivars IR 20 and TKM 6.
• Spray Streptomycin sulphate and tetracycline combination 300g + Copper oxychloride
1.25 Kg/ha.

Bacterial leaf streak - Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola

Symptoms
Fine translucent streaks are formed on the veins and the lesions enlarge lengthwise and
infect larger veins and turn brown. On the surface of the lesions, bacterial ooze out and form
small yellow band-like exudates under humid conditions. In severe cases the leaves dry up.

Management
• Burn the stubbles.
• Use optimum dose of fertilizers.
• Avoid clipping of tip of seedling at the time of transplanting.
• Avoid flooded conditions.
• Remove weed hosts. Grow resistant cultivars IR 20 and TKM 6.
• Spray Streptomycin sulphate and tetracycline combination 300g + Copper oxychloride
1.25 Kg/ha.

Viral Diseases
Rice Tungro Disease (RTD) - Rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) and Rice tungro
spherical virus (RTSV)
Symptoms
Infection occurs both in the nursery and main field. Plants are markedly stunted. Leaves
show yellow to orange discoloration and interveinal chlorosis. Young leaves are sometimes
mottled while rusty spots appear on older leaves. Tillering is reduced with poor root system.
Panicles not formed in very early infection, if formed, remain small with few, deformed and
chaffy grains.

Symptoms
Pathogen
Two morphologically unrelated viruses present in phloem cells. Rice tungro bacilliform
virus (RTBV) bacilliform capsid, circular ds DNA genome and Rice tungro spherical virus
(RTSV) isometric capsid ss RNA genome.
Disease Cycle
Transmission mainly by the leaf hopper vector Nephotettix virescens Males, females and
nymphs of the insect can transmit the disease. Both the particles are transmitted semi-
persistently, in the vector the particles are noncirculative and nonpropagative. Plants infected
with RTSV alone may be symptomless or exhibit only mild stunting. RTBV enhances the
symptoms caused by RTSV. RTSV can be acquired from the infected plant independently of
RTBV, but acquisition of RTBV is dependent on RTSV which acts as a helper virus. Both the
viruses thrive in rice and several weed hosts which serve as source of inoculum for the next.
Ratoon from infected rice stubble serve as reservoirs of the virus. Disease incidence depends on
rice cultivars, time of planting, time of infection and presence of vectors and favorable weather
conditions
Management

• Field sanitation, removal of weed hosts of the virus and vectors.

• Grow disease tolerant cultivars like Pankhari203, BM66, BM68, Latisail,
Ambemohar102, Kamod253, IR50 and Co45.
• Control the vectors in the nursery by application of Carbofuran 170 g/cent 10 days
after sowing to control hoppers.
• Spray Phosphomidan 500 ml or Monocrotophos 1lit/ha (2 ml/litre) or Neem oil 3% or
NSKE 5% to control the vector in the main field 15 and 30 days after transplanting.
• Set up light traps to monitor the vector population.

Rice Grassy stunt disease - Rice grassy stunt tenuivirus

Symptoms
Plants are markedly stunted with excessive tillering and an erect growth habit. Leaves
become narrow, pale green with small rusty spots. May produce a few small panicles which bear
dark brown unfilled grains.

Symptoms
Pathogen
Rice grassy stunt tenuivirus, flexuous, filamentous 950-1350nm long x 6nm wide, ssRNA
genome

Disease Cycle

Disease spreads by the brown plant hopper, Nilaparvata lugens, in a persistent manner
having a latent period of 5 to 28 days in the vector. Ratoon crop and presence of vector
perpetuate the disease from one crop to other.
Rice dwarf – Rice dwarf virus

Symptoms

Infected plants show stunted growth, reduced tillering and root system. Leaves show
chlorotic specks turning to streaks along the veins. In early stage of infection no ear heads
formed.

Pathogen

• The virus is spherical, 70nm diameter with an envelope, dsRNA genome.

Disease Cycle
Spreads by leafhopper feeding by Nephotettix cincticeps, Recllia dorsalis and
N. nigropictus in a persistent manner. The transmission is transovarial through eggs. Gramineous
weeds Echinochloa crusgalli and Panicum miliaceaum serve as source of inoculum.
Management
• Destory weed host that serve as source of inoculum
• Spray Phosphamidon or Fenthinon 500 ml or Monocrotophos 1 lit/ha.

Rice ragged stunt disease – Rice ragged stunt virus

Symptoms
• Formation of ragged leaves with irregular margins, vein swelling, enations on leaf veins
may be formed
• Stunting of plants, delayed flowering, production of nodal branches and incomplete
emergence of panicles.

Symptoms
Pathogen
• Spherical virus (Figivirus), 65 nm diameter, dsRNA genome
Disease Cycle
Spreads through brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens transmitted in a persistent
manner. Multiplies in the vector, latent period of 3 to 35 days, but not transmitted congenitally
Rice yellow dwarf disease – Rice yellow dwarf virus
Symptoms
Prominent stunting of plants and excessive tillering are the characteristic symptoms of the
disease. Leaves yellowish green to whitish green, become soft and droop. Plants usually remain
sterile but sometimes may produce small panicles with unfilled grains.

Symptoms

Pathogen
• Caused by a phytoplasma (rice yellow dwarf phytoplasma designated as a novel taxon,
‘Candidatus Phytoplasma oryzae’)
Disease Cycle
The disease is transmitted by leafhopper vectors Nephotettix sp. Nephotettix with a latent
period of 25-30 days in the vector. The pathogen survives on several grass weeds.
Management
• Deep ploughing during summer months and burning of stubbles.
• Rice varieties IR62 and IR64 are moderately resistant to the disease.
• The management practices followed for Rice Tungro disease holds good for this disease
also.