A case report on Blast disease in Rice and Finger millet in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Blast disease caused by Magnaporthe sp. is one of the most destructive diseases in cereal crops. Disease infection was studied in farmer fields. Field data was recorded and further information was gathered by interviewing the farmers and agrarian extension officers. Blast infections were assessed in the fields using a standard evaluation system for rice (SES IRRI, 1996). Although symptoms were not observed in seedlings when mature rice fields were infected farmers experienced 100% yield loss. There were no or few leaf symptoms in blast infected mature rice fields yet neck infections were scored as 9 in SES. Unlike rice, leaf blast at seedling stage caused economic losses in finger millet. Mature finger millet fields were susceptible to neck and finger blast. Due to rapid disease development curative fungicide treatment was ineffective in controlling blast.  Farmers reported sudden changes in the weather during infections whereby gloomy weather caused a spike in humidity and low temperatures that coincided with the infection. Host susceptibility window synchronized with conducive environments result in severe blast infections therefore, blast disease management needs a coordinated effort and system level interventions whereby control measures and use of resistant germplasm can be combined with climate-based disease predictions to increase the efficiency of disease control.