Indexing

Abstract: Rice was introduced in to Ethiopia around 1970s based on the discovery of wild rice in Fogera and Gambela plains. Since then, it is widely cultivated in the country especially in Fogera plains, and becomes a popular crop in the area. However, in Fogera plains, complexes of unknown and newly emerged diseases are being observed both in the farmers’ fields and research station and seriously affects the productivity of the crop. Accordingly, field assessment and laboratory works were conducted with the objective to identify newly emerging rice diseases and their causal organisms in Fogera plains, Ethiopia. A total of 46 samples (17soil, 10 root and 19 foliar) were collected systematically from infected rice fields in the three main rice growing districts (Fogera, Dera and Libokemkem) and 73sub samples were examined for the possible pathogens at Ambo Agricultural Research Center Laboratory. Out of 46 samples and 73 subsamples examined for the three pathogens, 28 samples were infected by different pathogens. Of which 16 samples by bacteria (Xanthomonas spp. and Pseudomonas spp.), nine by fungal (Pythium spp., Sarocladium spp. and Fusariu spp.), three by nematode (Hoplolaimus spp., Tylenchorhynchus spp. and Helicotylenchus spp.). Most samples were infected by more than one pathogen and the resulted disease was complex. Moreover, the identified pathogens’ genera were new to the area. Therefore, proper pathogen identification should be done further up to the species level and the real disease causal organism should be identified following Koch’s postulate.

Keywords: emerging diseases, rice diseases, identification, diseases complex, rice, Fogera plain.

Title: Identification of Newly Emerging Rice Diseases in Fogera Plains, Ethiopia

Author: Desalegn Yalew, Adina Getinet, Muluadam Berhan

ISSN 2349-7823

International Journal of Recent Research in Life Sciences (IJRRLS)

Paper Publications