Symptom :

• The infected plants remain green and stunted.
• The fungus attacks the basal stem portion and later the leaf sheath and culm.
• The infected portion becomes soft and dark brown in colour.
• The fungus is seen to grow in between the sheath and stem on the lesions.
• The plant ultimately dies.
• On the surface of lesions, small, spherical, dark coloured sclerotia are formed.

Identification of pathogen:

• The pathogen forms a submerged vegetative mycelium consisting of single hyphae and an aerial mycelium composed of both single hyphae and hyphal strands.
• Sclerotial initials are formed on these hyphal strands
• Sclerotia (0.5-2.0mm diameter) begin to develop after 4-7 days of mycelial growth (2,10). Initially a felty white appearance, sclerotia quickly melanize to a dark brown coloration
• Sclerotia contain viable hyphae and serve as primary inoculum for disease development.

• Keeping the plants healthy and robust, and providing good drainage and other optimum soil conditions, help to avoid the disease.
• Deep ploughing before sowing and proper crop sequences involving non-poaceous crops reduces disease intensity.
• Spot drench with Copper oxychloride at 0.25 per cent for prevent spread of disease.

Source of hyphal segement: Plant Pathology by George N.Agrios Content Validator: Dr. T.Raguchandar, Professor (Plant Pathology), TNAU, Coimbatore -641003 Thanks to Dr.M.N.Budhar, Professor and Head, Regional Research Station, Paiyur- 65112