Biological and Chemical Management Strategy to Control Brown Spot Disease in Rice Caused by Bipolaris oryzae

The main objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of various fungicides in managing rice brown spot, a common fungal disease in India that can reduce crop yield and seed quality. During 2020-21 crop seasons, a research project was conducted in the experimental plot of the Department of Plant Pathology at the College of Agriculture in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India. Different treatments involving fungicide application at various rice growth stages were implemented. The results showed that all treatments involving fungicides significantly reduced the incidence of rice brown spot in-vitro condition and increased crop yield when compared to the control group. Among the fungicides, Difenoconazole 25% EC at a concentration of 200ppm proved to be highly effective in controlling the growth of the fungal mycelium. In in-vivo condition, the treatment involving T4, which includes seed treatment with the bio-control agent Trichoderma viride (10g/kg seeds), the application of Trichoderma viride (10g/l) at 15-20 days after transplanting, and the application of propiconazole (1g/l) at the booting exhibited the highest level of reduction in the incidence of brown spot disease, amounting to 13.6 per cent. The integrated management approach are very effective to control the brown spot disease in rice.