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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 29 August, 2022

  • 5 Min Read

Paddy Dwarfing

Paddy Dwarfing

Image Source - The Indian Express

  • In Punjab and Haryana, a strange illness has struck the paddy crop, "dwarfing" the plants.
  • The 'Southern Rice Black-Streaked Dwarf Virus' (SRBSDV), so named after Southern China, where it was initially discovered in 2001, has been identified as the mystery's cause by scientists.

Paddy Dwarfing

  • Rice dwarf disease is characterised by plant stunting and the formation of white chlorotic spots on the leaf.
  • The height of the stunted plants was reduced from half to three-quarters of the height of the normal plants.
  • These plants were simple to remove because of their shallow roots.
  • Nearly all of the cultivated types in the farmers' fields contained these plants.
  • Plant dwarfing was often observed at 10% to 25%, but in rare cases, it exceeded 40%.
  • Regardless of variety, the incidence of stunting was more evident in paddy crops that were sown early.

Southern Rice Black-Streaked Dwarf Virus (SRBSDV)

Origin:

  • Named after Southern China, where it was originally discovered to be the disease-causing factor in 2001 and where it was first reported.
  • Regardless of variety, the incidence of stunting was more evident in paddy crops that were sown early.

Impact:

  • In rice fields that were seriously infected, the diseased plants began to wither.
  • The height of the stunted plants was reduced by between half and three-quarters compared to the normal plants.
  • These plants were simple to remove because of their shallow roots.
  • In the farmer's fields, these plants were seen in practically all of the farmed types.
  • White-backed plant hoppers (WBPH) are the primary vectors for the chronic circulative and propagative transmission of the SRBSDV.
  • Due to the virus's ability to spread more effectively in nymphs of WBPH than in adults, SRBSDV not only affects rice but also several weed species.
  • WBPH's ability to migrate with typhoons and powerful convection winds may allow for the long-distance spread of this virus.

Prevention

  • Insecticides can be applied toward the base of the plants if WBPH nymphs or adults are observed floating on water.
  • Farmers should periodically check the crop for the presence of WBPH and a few plants should be slightly tilted and tapped 2-3 times at the base at weekly intervals because there was no cure for the viral disease

Insecticides like Pexalon 10 SC (triflumezopyrim) @ 94 ml/acre, Osheen/Token 20 SG (dinotefuran) @ 80 g/acre, or Chess 50 WG (pymetrozine) @ 120 g/acre can be sprayed at the base of the plants if WBPH nymphs or adults are observed floating on water

Also, Read - One Nation One Fertilizer

Source: The Indian Express


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