Name of Disease: Sheath blight of Rice.

Cause:Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn (Thanatephorus cucumeris Frank donk) it overwinters in the form of sclerotia of the fungus.

Symptoms: The chief symptoms develop as 2-3 centimetre long greenish-grev lesions with irregular dark brown margin on the leaf and leaf sheath. The lesions turn to straw colour and surrounded by bluish grev narrow bands. The lesions in size and  girdle the stem. The leaf blade of the affected sheath dries up from the tip downwards. The grains are shrivelled and poorly filled. Hemispherical or spherical greyish-black sclerotia are formed on the lesions which fall on the ground. Sclerotia form even on the grain in case of severe infection.

Control:

1.  Seed treatment with Thiram or Agrosan GN @ 2.5 g/kg seed.

2.  Soil application of Thiram or Brassicol @ 25 kg/ha before transplanting has been recommended.

3.  Heavy dose of Nitrogen should not be given in the endemic areas of disease occurrence.