Survey of rice sheath blight disease incidence and severity across various rice growing states in India

Abstract

Sheath blight disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani poses a serious threat to rice cultivation in India and the world, necessitating regular surveys for early detection and timely management. An extensive sheath blight survey conducted between 2016 and 2022 across 21 rice growing Indian states covering 40 locations revealed substantial differences in disease incidence and severity at surveyed sites. The disease incidence ranged from less than 2% in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to 75-80% in West Bengal. The survey revealed that 17 locations have more than 50% disease incidence and 3 locations showing less than 2% incidence. The disease severity ranged from 25% in Sirsi, Karnataka, to a high of 92% in Maruteru, Andhra Pradesh with 24 places among 40 places having a disease severity score of 9, which is 60 % of the surveyed locations. The survey data provide essential information for region-specific sheath blight disease prediction and sustainable management.