Scenario of Rice Diseases in Major Rice Growing Districts of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Major rice growing districts of Himachal Pradesh viz., Kangra, Mandi, Una, Sirmour and Chamba were conducted during kharif 2010 to 2015 under Production Oriented Survey (POS) programme of All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project. The results revealed a changing scenario in the prevalence of rice diseases. It was observed that diseases like false smut, bacterial leaf blight and sheath blight which were predominant in tropical environment are regularly appearing in sub-temperate climate of mid-hills in considerable proportions. However, in districts Kangra, Mandi, Sirmour and Una, diseases like blast, false smut and bacterial blight were the most predominant ones during the period under study. The other diseases remained low to moderate with possible potential of resulting losses to rice production in the state under high severity. Foot rot of rice or Bakane disease which is also known as Rice Foolish seedling disease was observed for the first time from Indora block of district Kangra during kharif 2015 infecting Pusa 1121, a popular basmati cultivar.