Efficacy of Zineb+Hexaconazole on the management of sheath blight, brown spot and grain discoloration in rice

A field experiment was conducted to study the efficacy of a combination product of Zineb+Hexaconazole (Z+H 72% WP) for the control of sheath blight, Rhizoctonia solani (Kühn); brown spot, Helminthosporium oryzae (Breda de Haan) and grain discoloration diseases of rice during wet and dry seasons of 2006 and 2007. Among the treatments, foliar spray of Z+H (2 g l⁻¹) on 30 and 45 days after transplanting was found to be effective in minimizing the severity of sheath blight (21.1%), brown spot (36.5%) and grain discoloration (31.7%) and maximizing the grain yield (4.49 t ha^−l) and cost benefit ratio (1:1.85). The untreated control recorded the highest severity of sheath blight (54.3%), brown spot (54.9%), and grain discoloration (48.5%), coupled with reduced grain yield (3.43 t ha^−l) and cost benefit ratio (1:1.49).