Identification of fungus causing leaf blight of knot grass Paspalum distichum L., a weed of rice [manuscript]
Date
2020
Authors
Melody S. Gante
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Abstract
The study was conducted to identify and characterize the fungus causing leaf blight disease of p. distichum, determine the potential of the casual fungus as biological control against P. distichum at different ages and determine the best concentration of the identified fungus effective against P. distichum. Gathered data were subjected to ANOVA while treatment means were compared using LSD at 5% level using STAR 2013.
Fungus causing leaf blight was identified as Fusarium sp. Symptom exist as tiny black spots on tips of the leaves and become brown to black as it gets older. Percentage of infection at different ages of knots grass showed highly significant among the treatments and most percentage of incidence was recorded at 10 DAP (7 DAI). From 3 to 7 DAI, the highest number of lesions was gathered at 40 DAP (6.2) and lowest at 20 DAP (1.8) was observed. Size of lesions showed highly significant on day 6 to 7 which 20 DAP exhibited the most number of lesions (6 DAI) with 77.0 and 100.5 (7 DAI). Severity of blight disease was mostly exhibited at the youngest age (10) at 5 to 7 DAI with 30.2%, 44.7% and 61.8% severity, respectively. Different amount of concentrations sprayed with knot grass showed highly significant in 7 DAI and the best concentration of Fusarium sp. To control knot grass was 1 x 10 7 spores/ml.