Rice leaf blast is right on time. As of today, June 18, the first report of blast has been made from Randolph County on a medium grain rice, Titan (Figure 1). Historically, leaf blast starts between the 2nd and 3rd week of June. The dew in the mornings should be enough to initiate spore germination. With overcast skies and rain in the forecast, the time to scout for rice leaf blast is now.
To read on susceptibility levels of varieties, go to Commercial Rice Cultivar-Responses. To read on how and where to scout, check out Moisture fuels a blast epidemic.
Fig. 1. Leaf blast detected at the high edge of a sandy soil field in Randolph County where flood water did not reach in Titan rice at ½” internode. Click Image to Enlarge
