Combination of Azoxystrobin + Difenocanazole provides effective management of sheath blight of rice caused by Rhizoctonia solani

Sheath blight of rice, caused by the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani kunh. (Sexual stage: Thanetophorus cucumeris (Frank) Donk.) is one of the major production constrains in rice growing countries of the world. Under conditions favoring disease, up to 50% grain yield may be lost. Use of short stature well tillering susceptible semi dwarf cultivars planted high densities, leading to dense canopies with moist microclimates, promote disease spread. Both seedlings and adult plants are equally affected but loss in much more when the disease appears in seedlings. The infection and spread of disease before the flag leaf stage revealed 20% grain loss. A trial was conducted to test the efficacy of different combinations of fungicide against sheath blight of rice. We report here in Azoxystrobin 18.2% w/w + difenoconazole 11.4 w/w SC (Amister) effectively reduced the sheath blight severity (11.11%) and also increased the grain yield as compare to other treatment and control. This study also demonstrated that rice producers can reduce sheath blight losses by planting moderately susceptible to moderately resistant cultivars and improve rice grain yield by applying Azoxystrobin 18.2% w/w + 11.4 w/w SC (Amister).