Alleviating the stress of Meloidogyne graminicola and Drechslera oryzae pathogens with nitrogen application in direct seeded and transplanted rice
Alleviating the stress of Meloidogyne graminicola and Drechslera oryzae pathogens with nitrogen application in direct seeded and transplanted rice
- Author(s) Anupam Sekhon, Narpinderjeet Kaur Dhillon and Harwinder Singh Buttar
- Year: 2023
- Month: November
- Volume: 60
- Pages: 171-182
Rice root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne graminicola) and brown spot pathogen (Drechslera oryzae) are two important pathogens of rice, reducing its productivity significantly. The study investigated the impact of varying nitrogen levels on the interaction between rice root-knot nematode (M. graminicola) and brown spot disease (D. oryzae) in both direct-seeded and transplanted rice. Field experiments were conducted over two years, 2019 and 2020, applying different nitrogen doses and observing nematode populations, disease incidence and plant growth parameters in comparison to the control. The results demonstrated that higher nitrogen levels led to a decrease in nematode populations, with reductions of 31-42% in direct-seeded rice and 23-31% in transplanted rice. Similarly, nematode reproduction factor (Rf) was lowered to less than 2, indicating reduced nematode reproduction. Root galling index (RGI) exhibited a decline, showcasing diminished root damage due to nematode infestation. Brown spot disease incidence also saw a decrease, with reductions of 2.5-2.9% in direct-seeded rice and 2.5-3.5% in transplanted rice. Furthermore, plant growth parameters like height and weight significantly improved with increased nitrogen levels, displaying the highest values at the elevated nitrogen doses. These findings underscore the importance of proper nitrogen management in controlling Rice root-knot nematode and brown spot disease in rice while fostering optimal plant growth in rice cultivation.
