Effect of two systemic fungicides on rice blast control in a rainforest zone of Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract Two systemic fungicides, benomyl (methyl 1‐((butylamino)‐carbonyl)‐1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐yl carbamate) (Benlate 50WP, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.) and tricyclazole (5‐methyl‐1,2,4‐triazole (3,4‐b) benzothiazole) (Beam 75 WP, Eli Lilly & Co.), were sprayed on Faro 29, a popular shallow swamp rice, at full tillering stage for the control of natural infection of rice blast caused by Pyricularia oryzae Cav. in the rainforest zone of eastern Nigeria. The rates evaluated for each fungicide were a split application of 150 + 150, 300, and 400ga.i./ha of each fungicide. Both fungicides suppressed foliar and neck blast development, but tricyclazole was superior to benomyl. One application of tricyclazole at 400g a.i./ha at full tillering stage of rice successfully suppressed blast development and resulted in a significantly (P = 005) higher grain yield than the untreated control plants by an average of 42.17% during the 2 years of this study. Similarly, benomyl at 400g a.i./ha produced 18.94% more rice grain...