BACTERIAL BLIGHT OF RICE
What it does
Bacterial blight is caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.
It causes wilting of seedlings and yellowing and drying of
leaves
Has been known in Japan as an Endemic disease
In India it is first time reported from Maharashtra 1959
Severe form the disease was also reported from bihar
(shahabad district)
After wards the disease is also very common in north india
The spread in northern part of the country was attributed by
the introduction of highly succeptible variety taichung native
(TN)1
In haryana punjab and western uttarpardesh epidemic was
occurred during 1980
Disease is typical vascular wilt, leaf blight being only the
mild phase resulting from secondary infection
Demage is due to partial or total blighting of leaves or
due to the complete wilting of affected tillers leading to
unfilled grains
It can occur in both tropical and temperate environments,
particularly in irrigated and rainfed lowland areas. In general,
the disease favors temperatures at 25−34°C, with relative
humidity above 70%
It is commonly observed when strong winds and continuous
heavy rains occur, allowing the disease-causing bacteria to
easily spread through ooze droplets on lesions of infected
plants.
Bacterial blight can be severe in susceptible rice varieties
under high nitrogen fertilization.
If the attack is late the yeid loss would be negligible
Yeild losses in Japan has been reported to be 30%
In India yield losses are varying 6-60%
Symptoms
Bacterial blight of Rice
(BLB)
C.O. Xanthomonas
oryzae
How will u identify
Check for wilting and yellowing of leaves, or wilting of
seedlings (also called kresek).
On seedlings, infected leaves turn grayish green and
roll up. As the disease progresses, the leaves turn
yellow to straw-colored and wilt, leading whole
seedlings to dry up and die.
Kresek on seedlings may sometimes be confused with
early rice stem borer damage.
To distinguish kresek symptoms from stem borer
damage, squeeze the lower end of infected seedlings
between the fingers. Kresek symptoms should show
yellowish bacterial ooze coming out of the cut
ends. Unlike plants infested with stem borer, rice
plants with kresek are not easily pulled out from soil.
Cont.
Check for lesions:
On older plants, lesions usually develop as water-soaked to
yellow-orange stripes on leaf blades or leaf tips or on
mechanically injured parts of leaves. Lesions have a wavy
margin and progress toward the leaf base.
On young lesions, bacterial ooze resembling a milky dew drop
can be observed early in the morning. The bacterial ooze later
on dries up and becomes small yellowish beads underneath the
leaf.
ld lesions turn yellow to grayish white with black dots due to
the growth of various saprophytic fungi. On severely infected
leaves, lesions may extend to the leaf sheath.
To quickly diagnose bacterial blight on leaf:
cut a young lesion across and place in a transparent glass
container with clear water
after a few minutes, hold the container against light and
observe for thick or turbid liquid coming from the cut end of the
Bacterial ooze
Dried up bacterial ooze
Management
Preventive methods
Cultural methods
Chemical Method
Preventive methods
Preventive methodSeed treatment with bleaching
powder (100g/l) and zinc sulfate (2%) reduce bacterial
blight.
Seed treatment - seed soaking for 8 hours in Agrimycin
(0.025%) and wettable ceresan (0.05%) followed by hot
water treatment for 30 min at 52-54oC;
seed soaking for 8 hours in ceresan (0.1%) and treat
with Streptocyclin (3g in 1 litre);
Spray neem oil 3% or NSKE 5%
Spray fresh cowdung extract for the control of bacterial
blight. Dissolve 20 g cowdung in one litre of water;
allow to settle and sieve. Use supernatant liquid.
(starting from initial appearance of the disease and
another at fortnightly interval)
Cultural methods
Cultural methodsGrow Tolerant varieties (IR 20 IR
72,PONMANI , TKM 6).
Secure disease free seed
Grow nurseries preferably in isolated upland
conditions
Avoid clipping of seedlings during transplanting.
Balanced fertilization, avoid excess N - application
Skip N - application at booting (if disease is
moderate)
Drain the field (except at flowering stage of the crop)
Destruction of weeds and collateral hosts
Avoid flow of water from affected fields
Maintain proper plant spacing
Chemical Methods
Seed treatment with bleaching powder (100g/l) and
zinc sulfate (2%) reduce bacterial blight.
Seed treatment - seed soaking for 8 hours in
Agrimycin (0.025%) and wettable ceresan (0.05%)
followed by hot water treatment for 30 min at 52-
54oC;
seed soaking for 8 hours in ceresan (0.1%) and treat
with Streptocyclin (3g in 1 litre);
Spray Streptomycin sulphate + Tetracycline
combination 300 g + Copper oxychloride 1.25kg/ha. If
necessary repeat 15 days later.
Application of bleaching powder @ 5 kg/ha in the
irrigation water is recommended in the kresek stage.
Foliar spray with copper fungicides alternatively with
