Management of sheath blight of rice using different solvent-based plant extracts

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) belong to the Gramineae family is the most extensively grown food crop in the world and about 90 per cent of rice grown in the world is produced and consumed in Asia. Sheath blight is one of the most destructive rice diseases, found throughout the world’s rice-growing regions. In present investigation different solvent based plant extracts were evaluated against sheath blight of rice in vitro as well as in vivo. Results indicated that Hexaconazole 5% SC (100%), Methanol based neem extract(100%), Methanol based plant extract mixture (100%), Ethanol based plant extract mixture (100%) and Ethanol based neem extract (100%) completely inhibited the mycelia growth of Rhizoctonia solani at 10 per cent concentration. Cow urine-based plant extracts were found significantly effective in suppressing the sheath blight severity and increasing the yield over control plot. Lowest per cent disease index (PDI) was observed in Hexaconazole 5% SC @0.1% (PDI-8.08%) which was found to be most effective and at par with Hexaconazole 5% SC @0.05% (PDI-8.88%) followed by Pure Cow urine (5%) + Hexaconazole 5% SC @0.05% (PDI-9.35%) and Cow urine-based plant extracts mixture (5%) + Hexaconazole 5% SC @0.05%(PDI -9.60%) over control. Pure Cow urine @10%, (PDI –27.81%) and Cow urine-based plant extracts mixture @10 % (PDI –29.61%) were also found significantly highly effective controlling sheath blight disease and statistically at par with each other. Combination of half doses of Pure Cow urine (5%) + Hexaconazole 5% SC @0.05% (PDI-9.35%) was found significantly effective as compare to control.