False Smut Disease:
According to reports, the paddy crop, which is at the maturing and harvest stage, has been infested with false smut disease, causing widespread damage across Punjab.
- False smut (haldi rog) is an important fungal disease of rice (paddy).
- It is caused by the fungus Ustilaginoidea virens.
- It is also known as Lakshmi disease or Oothupathi disease of rice.
- It doesn’t directly impact other plant parts.
- It causes chalkiness of grains, which leads to reduction in grain weight. It also reduces seed germination.
- The percentage of infected panicles and the extent of infection within each panicle significantly impact yield los
- Warm and humid weather: Temperatures between 25-30°C and high humidity (>80%) promote fungal growth.
- Presence of infected plant debris: Spores can survive on leftover stubble and straw from previous harvests.
- High nitrogen content in soil: Excessive nitrogen application can increase susceptibility.
- Control of false smut of rice through fungicide application is feasible; however, high usage of fungicides has led to the resistance development in causal agents besides environmental pollution.
