Bacterial leaf blight: paddy growers advised to take precautionary steps

Precautionary measures and balanced use of fertiliser can be helpful to mitigate infestation of rice blight. The department of agriculture Punjab has informed the rice growers that the paddy crop was most susceptible to bacterial leaf blight, which adversely affects grain filling and causes huge loss of yield.
The rice crop experts have advised growers to check the flow of irrigation water from infested field into healthy crop and not to exceed water depth beyond 1.5 inches in rice fields. The disease infestation starts in the form of patches, and spray of copper oxychloride and Bordeaux mixture with the consultation of experts of agriculture extension and pest warning department should be done to minimise the disease infestation, the department advised. The experts of agriculture department have also advised the farmers to give special emphasis on the control of leaf roller as injury caused by this pest favours the spread of leaf blight of rice in healthy plants.