Emerging fungicide molecules for false smut control in rice and its impact on seed quality

Abstract

An extensive survey was made at different locations of Odisha in order to assess the presence of false smut disease in rice crop. The infected rice panicles were collected and the causal agent was detected and identified as Ustilaginoidea virens. The pathogenicity of the fungus was proved by artificial inoculation under controlled conditions. The fungus was able to produce characteristic disease symptoms under this conditions. The symptomology of the disease and the morphological characters of the fungus were studied under compound microscope. To study the effect of new generation systemic fungicides on the growth of the fungus and on the seed quality parameters, nine different combination of fungicides including control were taken. Among them Trifloxystrobin 25% + Tebuconazole 50%, Propiconazole 13.9% + Difenconazole 13.9% EC, Flupyram 17.7% + Tebuconazole 17.7%, Picoxystrobin 12% + Propiconazole 7% SC, Azoxystrobin 16.7% + Tricyclazole 33.3% SC were proved to be the best inhibitors and enhance seed quality parameters. Metiram 55% + Pyraclostrobin 5% WG, Propiconazole 25 EC, Azoxystrobin 18.2% + Difenoconazole 11.4% SC were not so effective in controlling and inhibiting the of the fungus in the present investigation.