Evaluation of bio inoculants fortified Lignite Fly Ash (LFA) against sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn) and sheath rot (Saracladium oryzae (Sawada) Games and Haksworth) diseases of rice in Cauvery delta region of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Sheath blight and sheath rot are the major diseases of rice in Tamil Nadu particularly in Cauvery delta region. Pot culture and field trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of consortia application of ecofriendly components viz., Fortified Lignite Fly Ash (LFA), Annamalai Mixture and antagonistic microorganisms against the sheath blight and sheath rot diseases and yield parameters during the kuruvai and samba season of 2016. Among the different combination of ecofriendly components, combined application of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis as seed treatment@ 10g/kg of seed, soil @ 10 kg/ha at transplanting, foliar spray @ 10 kg/ha at tillering and boot leaf stage plus spraying Annamalai Mixture @ 20 lit /ha at tillering stage and boot leaf stage plus Fortified lignite fly ash as soil @ 40 kg/ha at transplanting and foliar dust @ 30 kg/ha at boot leaf stage significantly reduced sheath blight and sheath rot disease incidence in pot culture and field condition. The same treatment recorded the maximum grain yield. All the ecofriendly components treated plants significantly decreased the diseases incidence and increased the grain yield as compared to control.