The present position and control of rice diseases in India

Abstract

The diseases of rice are estimated to cause annually about 10 per cent. loss in rice production. The more important diseases are "blast," "helminthosporiose," "stem rot" and "foot rot". Of these "foot rot" can be checked successfully by treating the seeds with organo-mercurial fungicides and this method is now widely adopted whenever foot rot is prevalent in the country. "Blast" is the most destructive of the diseases and is of widespread occurrence. Research on the control of the diseases is directed towards evolution of highly resistant varieties, development of economic spraying and dusting schedules and the study of the factors favourable for disease development. There is need to intensify the programme of breeding resistant varieties in the country, as the cultivation of resistant varieties is the most economical method of control of the diseases. But since many resistant varieties are not presently available, plant protection by fungicidal spraying and dusting has to be resorted to, to save the crop against the damage caused by diseases. Economic spraying and dusting schedules have already been worked out for blast disease and they have to be popularised. For successful and large-scale adoption of plant protection measures, it is necessary to link the same with an efficient forecasting service. This has still to be organised in India.