Paddy variety hit by blight attack in Punjab

Ludhiana, July 31 (UNI) The Pusa 44 variety of paddy has once again been hit by the blight attack in Punjab.

The plant clinic at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) here has received samples of the crop effected by blight attack. Due to bacterial leaf blight, greenish-yellow stripes appear along the leaf margins and extend both lenghtwise and breadth-wise. The leaf starts drying from the tip or becomes white in severe case, and ultimately dries up completly.

PAU experts have observed that some farmers are applying weedicides and pesticides to save the crop from this disese however, no pesticide or weedicide is effective on the blight effected plant, the experts said. This unnecessarily increases the input cost and also pollutes the environment.

Referring to the research done by the university, Director of extension Education Dr S S Gill said the PR-115 PR-113 and PR-111 varieties of paddy are resistant to seven races of bacterial leaf blight pathogen. Even the PR-118, PR116 and PR-114 are resistant to four races of the leaf blight.

Dr Gill said the Pusa-44 variety is, however, not resistant to the attack.

Last year too many farmers suffered huge losses due to this attack.

Dr Gill advised the farmers that the farmers should not go in for excessive use of nitrogen. Also nitrogen should not be applied beyond six weeks after transplanting.

The university has appealed to the farmers to take the advice of experts and not apply their own methods. The farmers can get advice from Extension Specialists at Krishi Vigyan Kendra in different district.

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