Seed-borne fungal disease attacks paddy crop in Karnal

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, July 21

Seed-borne fungal disease —Bakanae — has hit large areas of paddy crop in Karnal, leaving farmers a worried lot. Paddy growers fear it may affect the productivity and reduce the yield.

‘Don’t use fungicide’

The farmers should approach the department with the plant or inform about the same so that the disease could be detected. They should not use any fungicide without the recommendation of the department. — Aditya Dabas, Deputy Director, Agriculture

“The fungal disease has attacked my basmati crop. Though I used fungicide yet it has affected the crop,” said Vikas, a farmer of Baldi village, adding that he had approached the authorities for its remedy.

Vijay Kapoor, a progressive farmer, said the same adding that it had affected around 4-acre of 1509 variety of the crop. He said it might lead to a huge loss to him. Dharambir, another farmer, said his paddy crop had also been attacked by the seed-borne disease.

An expert said it was a seed-borne fungal disease, in which fungus infects the plants through the roots or crowns as it grows within the plant. “Infected plants are abnormally tall with pale and thin leaves. The affected plant produces only partially filled or empty grains. It affects varieties of basmati crop, including 1509,” he added.

Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA) Aditya Dabas said, “It happens when the paddy nursery is planted after removing it from dry patch of land.” He appealed farmers to approach the office of the department with the plant or inform the department, so that they could detect the fungal disease. He said farmers should not use any fungicide without the recommendation of the department.