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Bakanae Disease - A Serious threat to Basmati Rice Production in India

Bakanae disease caused by Fusarium fujikuroi has been reported from nearly all rice-growing countries across the world, and it has become a serious threat issue in Asian countries. The disease incidence is especially high on the varieties Pusa Basmati 1121 and Pusa Basmati 1509, which are gaining popularity throughout the country, particularly in Punjab and Haryana due to its superior grain quality. It is responsible for high yield losses ranging from 3.0-95.4% and its prevalence varies depending on the region and cultivars used. The typical and distinguished symptoms of the disease are elongation and rotting of rice plants. This disease is seed borne and soil borne in nature and become more prevalent in rice-growing areas around the world in recent years. Seed treatment with fungicides is currently the most important disease management approach utilized worldwide. A systematic study of how the disease develops under the influence of variable climatic conditions is necessary to manage this emerging disease efficiently, and good management measures can help us conquer it in the future.


Symptoms
One or more Fusarium species are responsible for the disease and complex of disease symptoms includes seedling blight, root rot, crown rot, stunting, and the most prominent symptoms of etiolation, hypertrophy effect or excessive elongation of infected plants (Fig.1 a & b), foot rot, seedlings rot, grain sterility, grain discoloration, and the ultimate effect on yield and seed quality have all been documented in various parts of the world (Desjardins et al., 2000). The bakanae-infected seedlings grow higher, with chlorotic stems and leaves that turn yellowish-green to light in colour as the infection progresses. Both the nursery stage and the main field are susceptible to the disease. Seedlings that survive the infection in the nursery may succumb to the attack shortly after being transplanted. The formation of adventitious roots from lower nodes of the stem was reported in India and hence foot rot name was given to the disease (Thomas, 1931). Sasaki (1973)

Survival and dissemination of the pathogen
Bakanae is a monocyclic disease where the pathogen is both seed and soil carried; nevertheless, seed borne inoculum is a more important source than soil borne inoculum since soil borne inoculum is rapidly depleted with time (Kanjanasoon, 1965;Ou, 1985). Infested seed is the most common source of inoculum, and it is also the most common way for the disease to spread from field to field (Anderson and Webster, 2005). Ascospores and conidia adhering to the seed germinate and infect seedlings via roots and crown (Sun, 1975). In the form of thick-walled hyphae or macroconidia, fungus lives for roughly four months in soil (Sun, 1975). Wind and water disperse the conidia, producing new infections in the rice field. Conidia formation on damaged or dead culms in the field corresponds to the crop's flowering and maturity (Seto, 1937). Seed-borne inoculum, in general, serve as an initial site or focus for secondary infection.

Predisposition factors
Weather has an impact on all stages of the host and the pathogen's life cycle, as well as disease progression.
Relationships between weather and disease are routinely used for forecasting and managing epidemic diseases.
In order to manage bakanae disease, it is important to understand the interaction between the host, pathogen, and the environment. Different weather variables have a major impact on the incidence and geographic distribution -----of this emerging rice disease (Luo et al., 1988). All these weather parameters viz,, temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, wind speed, evaporation and sun shine hours etc., play a vital role in disease incidence, survival, reproduction and further spread. Unfortunately, the investigation on the role of weather parameters on bakanae disease is scarce or not yet studied in depth. The best temperature for pathogen infection is 27-30°C, while the idea temperature for disease development is 35°C, which is also congenial for plant growth. When the temperature was lowered, the found that when nitrogenous fertilizers were applied in large doses, the pathogen population in the soil decreased.
The rice plants that were transplanted had more incidence than the plants that were developed by broadcasting the seeds (Saremi and Farrokhi, 2004). Summer crop, dry nurseries, and conditions of high temperature and relative humidity were found to have a higher disease incidence.
Pre-soaked seeds had a lower disease incidence than dry seeds (Kanjanasoon, 1965).

Genomics of Fusarium fujikuroi
The numerous multiple whole genomes of a Fusarium spp.

Biological Control
Biological control of plant diseases using antagonistic fungi and bacteria is an environment friendly option that could be a viable alternative to agrochemicals.

Author Contributions
All the authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Conflict of Interest
No commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Compliance with ethical standards