Integrated Approach to Control False Smut in Hybrid Rice in Sichuan Province, China

Severe epidemic of false smut, caused by Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke) Takahashi (teleomorph Villosiclava virens) has been reported in different parts of Asia and America. Different fungicides or bio-control agents against false smut were applied at different times before heading on a susceptible rice variety Pu-6. A control efficiency as high as 91.92% was resulted from spraying 2.5% Wenquning, a suspension of Bacillus subtilis in solution of validamycin with 4.5 L/hm2 at 6 d before heading. Among the 186 hybrid rice screened in 2010, low significant correlations between the dates of full heading, rates of infected plants and panicles as well as the number of infected florets were found, with the correlation coefficients ranging from 0.2331 to 0.5212. However, significant difference in susceptibility coefficients was also found between the varieties which had the same dates of full heading. In the plot experiments to compare the susceptibility in 2011, the average rates of infected panicles of Yixiangyou 2168, Chuanxiangyou 3, Dexiang 4103, Yixiangyou 2115, Nei5you 317, Yangxinyou 1 were significantly lower than those of the control varieties Gangyou 725 and Gangyou 188 at the disease nursery located at Qionglai, Sichuan Province, China. When Neixiangyou 8156 and Nei5you 317 were sprayed with 2.5% Wenquning at 4.5 L/hm2 for two times at 6 d before and 1 d after heading, respectively, the control efficiencies of Nei5you 317 and Neixiangyou 8156 were respectively 100% and 82.24% compared to that of Gangyou 725. Satisfactory control effects had also obtained by single spray of 2.5% Wenquning at 4.5 L/hm2 at 5–6 d before heading. Therefore, less susceptible hybrid rice in combination with spraying Wenquning at 5–6 d before heading was suggested for the disease control in Sichuan Province, China.