Ecofriendly Management of Wheat Panicle Blast Caused by <i>Magnaporthe oryzae triticum</i>

Abstract

In this study, three wheat varieties were tested to determine seed germination and the incidence of Magnaporthe oryzae triticum (MoT). Among these varieties, BARI Gom 24 (Prodip) wheat seed exhibited the highest seed germination rate (93%) but also had the highest incidence (30%) of MoT. To manage blast disease in an ecofriendly manner, seven treatments were employed: T 1 = Control, T 2 = Garlic clove extracts, T 3 = Aloe vera leaf extracts, T 4 = Black cumin seed extracts, T 5 = Neem leaf extracts, T 6 = Nativo 75 WG, and T 7 = Provax 200 WP. The experiment was conducted using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) layout with three replications using Prodip wheat variety that exhibited highest MoT infection severity based on laboratory analysis among collected varieties. Data were collected on blast disease incidence (%), disease severity, and various growth and yield parameters of wheat. The experiment’s results indicated that among all the treatments, T 7 (Seed treatment with Provax 200 WP) and T 5 (Foliar spraying with Neem leaf extract) performed better in controlling blast disease in wheat. The lowest blast disease incidence (%) was observed with T 7 (Provax 200 WP), with values of 7.86, 9.86, and 10.19 recorded during the milking stage, soft dough stage, and hard dough stage of wheat, respectively. T 5 (Neem leaf extract) also demonstrated a statistically equivalent reduction in blast disease incidence (%). In terms of disease severity, T 7 (Seed treatment with Provax 200 WP) showed the lowest values of 1.03, 1.23, and 1.63 during the milking stage, soft dough stage, and hard dough stage of wheat, respectively. Foliar spraying with neem leaf extract also exhibited similar result as of Provax 200 WP regarding panicle blast severity. As a result of these findings, it can be concluded that T 5 (Neem leaf extract) is recommended as an ecofriendly management approach for blast disease in wheat.