Vol. 11, Issue 3 (2022)

Author(s):
Amritpal Mehta, SK Singh, Ranbir Singh, Amrish Vaid, Ashwani Kumar Basandrai, Sachin Gupta, VB Singh, AK Singh and Sonali Abrol

Abstract:
Sheath rot (Sarocladium oryzae) is an important fungal disease of rice following blast, brown spot and sheath blight in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The disease development is highly influenced by environmental conditions, especially the temperature (maximum and minimum) and relative humidity (morning and evening). Hence, effect of various meteorological factors on the sheath rot development was studied in rice variety Pusa Basmati 1509 at the experimental Farm of Division of Plant Pathology, SKUAST-J, Chatha, during cropping seasons 2019 and 2020 under artificial epiphytotic conditions. The terminal disease severity of 37.64 and 35.24 per cent was recorded during 2019 and 2020, respectively. Sheath rot disease showed negative and highly significant correlation with maximum and minimum temperature, evening relative humidity and rainfall. It had negative and non-significant correlation with morning relative humidity, and non-significant & positive correlation with bright sunshine during 2019. During the cropping season 2020 the disease had a negative and highly significant correlation with maximum and minimum temperature, and evening relative humidity whereas it showed positive correlation with morning relative humidity, and negative and non-significant correlation with sunshine hours. Coefficient of determination (R²) revealed that selected weather variables contributed upto 96 and 98 per cent towards disease severity during the cropping season 2019 and 2020, respectively.