Bakanae Disease Of Rice

Bakanae Disease of rice is caused by a fungus and the scientific name of the fungus is Fusarium moniliforme ( it is the imperfect stage of the fungus ) or Gibberella fujikuroi ( it is the perfect stage of this fungus ).

Bakanae disease has a background history. Bakanae disease was first identified in Japan by Shotaro Hori in 1898. Shotaro Hori saw that some rice plant elongated abnormally. This rice plants produced no edible grains that means empty panicles. Also this rice plants was not capable to support them due to their abnormal and excessive. As a result stems of those rice plants  break down at last died. So Shotaro Hori called them Bakanae ( ba-ka-na-eh ). The meaning of Bakanae is ''foolish seedling of rice''. But this disease is very common in North America, Africa and Asia.
The main reason of abnormal elongation of rice plants is that in perfect stage ( Gibberella fujikuroi ) the pathogen produces a growth hormone named gibberellic acid into the host tissues. Before it was thought that Bakanae was a disease of rice seedlings but now Bakanae disease is observed in young to mature plants throughout the growing season. This disease is observed from nursery or seed bed to main crop field.

Symptoms:
This disease is seen in the main fields and also in the seed beds. In the seed bed the infected rice seedlings become very thin ans sick. Seedling s become pale to light green in color where other seedlings are normal green in color. Seedlings are also abnormally elongated than other seedlings. So sometimes wilt is occurred in seedbed among the infected rice seedlings finally seedlings die. If infected seedlings are transplanted in the main field, seedlings dry up and finally die. The most conspicuous symptoms is seen in the main crop fields. Infected rice plants become tall. Stray and  abnormally elongated tillers are appeared in the field. Sometimes adventitious roots are develop from the first or second or third node of the infected rice plants. Whitish and pinkish masses of spore are produced the pathogen in the infected host tissue. Flowers also develop earlier in infected field grain set-up is not occurred. Plants ( infected ) die before maturation of flower. Plants that are infected at collar region, died within two to six months.

Systematic position of the pathogen:
Division: Eumycota
Subdivision: Deuteromycotina
Class: Hyphomycetes
Order: Moniliales
Family: Tuberculariaceae
Genus: Fusarium
Species: Fusarium moniliforme

Control or management of Fusarium moniliforme
1. We must cultivate the varieties that are resistant to Bakanae disease.
2. We must seeds from disease free plants and area.
3.We must uprooted and than burn the infected plants immediately.
4. Stubble that remain after harvesting crops should be destroy by burning because pathogen may stay in the stubble of plant parts.
5. Field should be dried immediately when disease in the field.
6. Seed may be treated with Provax 200 at the rate of 3g per kg before sowing.