Fungal disease hits paddy crops in Tral’s Amirabad village

Pulwama, Aug 06: A fungal disease has afflicted paddy fields in Amirabad village of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Two elderly farmers, Abdul Rashid Dar and Abdur Rehman Dar, said their paddy crop, currently at the reproductive stage, has shown symptoms of a disease, with green pinnacles turning whitish.
The farmers promptly appealed to authorities for assistance in controlling the disease. In response, a team from the Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Department visited the affected area to suggest remedial measures.
Mir Ashiq Hussain, the Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) of Tral, informed Rising Kashmir that the affected crops displayed symptoms similar to rice blast disease. He said the symptoms were confined to a few spots within a patch of land measuring one kanal. The team applied a fungicide spray to the affected area.
The AEO ruled out the presence of bacterial blasts in the paddy crop. According to the Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer (SDO) of Tral, the affected crop showed signs of improvement following the fungicidal treatment.
Experts from Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Malangpora have been invited to examine the disease further and assist in its identification.
Meanwhile, various reports have highlighted the occurrence of pest infestations, diseases, and the impact of dry weather on different crops in South Kashmir. In response, teams from KVK Malangpora inspected several affected areas, including Patalbagh, Looswani, Kakapora, Dangerpora, and Chakoora. They examined the affected vegetable crops and recommended appropriate treatments.
Dr Javid Mughlo, Head of KVK Malangpora, who led the team, reported finding fruit rotting in the affected crops at Patalbagh, attributing it to dry and humid conditions.
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Kashmir University also issued an advisory. The advisory recommended the application of Carbendazim and Mancozeb 75 percent WP at a rate of 0.25 percent for controlling Chilli wilt at the fruiting stage and Flubendiamide at a rate of 0.20 ml per litre of water for combating Tomato fruit borer.
The advisory also suggested picking and destroying infested fruits to prevent the further spread of the diseases.