Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important food crop of the developing world. Among the biotic stresses of false smut is an emerging disease caused by Ustilaginoidea virens. The disease reduces both the quality and quantity of rice. The pathogen produces mycotoxins that are harmful to animals and humans. The disease is severe when favorable environmental conditions like high humidity (more than 80%) and temperature ranging from 25 to 30°C, late sowing and high soil fertility as well as using high amount of nitrogen. It has gained the status of a major disease of rice and causing varying yield loss depending on the weather conditions during the crop-growing period and the genotypes. Therefore, the primary concern of the farmers is the disease management methods, which are effective, simple and practical. Since, there is no single effective management strategy for false smut, we have discussed about the potential management options available depending upon the economic status and adoption capacity of the farmers. In the Plant Pathologists point of view, eco-friendly methods of disease management like cultural, biological and use of resistant variety should be advocated for sustainability of agriculture and human being.

Highlights

  • Rice is one the most important food crop of India

  • False smut is gradually emerging as a potential threat to rice cultivation around the globe

  • There is no single effective method to combat the disease, all-available and suitable methods should be utilized to manage the disease as a short term strategy

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Summary

Introduction

Rice is one the most important food crop of India. False smut of rice is a destructive inflorescence disease caused by Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke) Takahashi (teleomorph: Villosiclava virens). It was a minor disease with sporadic occurrences. It has recently become emerging disease in the majority of rice-growing areas of the world due to planting of high-yielding varieties and hybrids and climate change [1, 2]. False smut of rice can be managed using appropriate fungicides, cultural practices, bio-agents, plant extracts, resistant cultivar and integrated disease management techniques which are briefly discussed

Management through fungicides
Management through cultural practices
Management through bio-agents
Induction of host resistance
Management through plant extracts
Management through resistant variety
Integrated disease management
Conclusion
Findings
Future challenges
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