Leaf Blast
Published by Crop Pest Management Division
Blast is one of the most destructive diseases of rice that is found in both upland and lowland environments. It is caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Water scarcity with high night humidity and low night temperature favors the development of this disease. The fungus is both airborne and seed-borne. It can infect and produce lesions on most of the shoot including the leaves, leaf collar, stem, nodes, panicle and grains, but not the leaf sheath.
