Received: 9th Ocober 2020; Accepted: 15th December 2020

Abstract

False smut disease of rice is evolving as severe grain disease in most of the rice growing regions of the world. During Kharif, 2020 heavy incidence of false smut was observed. Hence, assessment of the incidence of the disease on different rice genotypes under natural field conditions was done at Rajendranagar farm, IIRR. The results revealed that average disease incidence ranged between 26.5 – 87.8% and the average number of smut balls per panicle varied from 1-26 with the mean value of 57.77% and 10.15, respectively. The weather data indicated that maximum rainfall recorded during the months of September and October provided the most favourable environmental conditions for the pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens. This also coincided with the 50 % flowering date of the most of the genotypes leading to the increase in the disease.