Context: Recently, Ludhiana’s Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has developed a biocontrol agent, Trichoderma asperellum, to combat foot rot disease in Basmati rice varieties. Foot rot is a prevalent issue that reduces yields and threatens the state’s export prospects.

What is Trichoderma asperellum?

• It is a biocontrol agent offers a non-chemical alternative to traditional pesticides, aiding in disease management while minimising environmental harm.

• It is an important development in rice farming techniques, bringing in a more sustainable strategy that will offer a non-chemical alternative to traditional pesticides.

• This transition ensures safer rice production, aligning with global standards for food safety.

• It will help in aiding in disease management while minimizing environmental harm

About Foot Rot Disease

• What is it?: Foot Rot is a fungal disease affecting Basmati rice, most vulnerable at the seedling stage and potentially after transplantation if infected seedlings are used.

• It is also known as Bakanae disease.

• It affects Basmati rice crops particularly at the seedling stage, though it might also cause infection after transplantation in case infected seedlings are transplanted.

• Causal Agent: The disease is caused by the fungus Fusarium verticillioides. It is both soil and seed-borne. It spreads through the plant’s roots and colonizes the stem base.

• Symptoms: Infected seedlings initially turn pale yellow, then elongate, dry up, and often die.

• Regulatory Action: The fungicide carbendazim has been banned in Punjab due to concerns over high residue levels left in crops.

Preventive Management Strategies to Control Foot Rot Disease

To prevent the disease from occurring and spreading, farmers resort to 

• Early seedling treatment, 

• Try to use disease-free seeds, and 

• Destroy infected seedlings. 

• Timely seed nursery management : 

• Seed sowing in the first fortnight of June, and transplantation in July. 

• Sowing in May often leads to problems as the month’s high temperatures are favourable to the disease. 

• Well Drained Fields : Fields where the nursery is being set up must also be well-drained, with proper irrigation, to avoid the spread of foot rot.

Current Treatment Methods

• a) Biological: Seedlings are treated with Trichoderma harzianum before sowing and transplantation to prevent fungal growth.

• Note: It is a biocontrol agent that provides an eco-friendly alternative to conventional pesticides, helping in disease management while reducing environmental impact.

• b) Chemical: Seeds are treated with fungicides such as Sprint 75 WS (a combination of carbendazim and mancozeb) before sowing. However, these chemical treatments can negatively affect the soil and pose toxicity risks to consumers.

• Both Trichoderma harzianum and Sprint 75 WS are the chemical treatments which are harmful for the soil, and can be toxic for consumers of the rice.