SCREENING OF RICE VARIETIES AGAINST SHEATH BLIGHT DISEASE

The experiment was conducted at the farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh to find out the resistant Aus rice varieties against sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn). Seven rice varieties viz. BR3, BR14, BR16, BR21, BR24, BR26 and BRRI dhan27 were used as test materials.  Disease evaluation was carried out following Standard Evaluation System under natural condition. The highest lesion size (4.02 cm) was recorded in the variety of BR16 and the lowest (3.50 cm) was found in BRRI dhan27 at maturity stage. Among the test varieties, BR3, BR14, BR21, BR24, BR16, BR26 and BRRI dhan27, respectively, were evaluated as susceptible and moderately susceptible to sheath blight. The disease was more severe in advanced growth stages of the plants. The highest grain yield (3.00 t/ha) was recorded in BRRI dhan27 and the lowest grain yield (1.14 t/ha) was recorded in BR24.