Indian Journal of Extension Education

Anumber of fungal diseases infect rice crop and sometime the effects could be devastating. Rice blast (Pyricularia oryzae) is one of the fungal diseases, which cause major crop loss in both Kharif and Rabi season. The present investigation has been designed with an objective to control blast of rice through bio fungicide and to increase yield in the red and lateritic belt of Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal. The trial was laid out in the Kapgari Village under the jurisdiction of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kapgari, Paschim Medinipur. The design adopted was Randomised Block Design (RBD) having four replications with four treatments. Four treatments viz. T1: Neem cake @ 120 kg/ha as basal dose, T2: Neem cake 120 kg/ha + Psudomonous floresence 3 g/L of water, T3: Neem cake 120 kg/ha + fresh cowdung @ 2 kg/10 L of water, T4: Neem cake 120 kg/ha + Trichoderma Viridie @ 3 g/L of water were imposed. Two sprays were conducted after 21 and 42 days of transplanting. Data on plant height, number of tillers, % of blast control, yield attributing characters and yield were recorded at regular interval. It has been reflected from the trial that T4 i.e. Neem cake 120 g + Trichoderma Viridie @ 3g/L of water achieved maximum yield of 46.35 q/ha and highest control of blast to the tune of 56 per cent over other treatments followed by T2 i.e. Neem cake 120 g + Psudomonous floresence 3 g/L of water recorded 42.27 q/ha yield and 43 per cent control of blast, respectively. Maximum number of tillers (16.25) and number of grains/panicle (193) also found to be highest in T4 over other treatments. Hence, it may be recommended that spraying of Trichoderma viride @ 3g/L of water in combination with Neem Cake @ 120 kg/ha of water after 21 and 42 days of transplanting effectively controlled blast of rice and increased yield in red laterite zone of the district