| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4505939 | Crop Protection | 2014 | 8 Pages |
•We used fan forced wind to prevent the infection of rice blast disease.•A reduction in the incidence and severity of leaf and panicle blasts was observed.•Wind velocity of 3–6 m/s for 60 s intervals showed the best result.•Wind treatment was more effective than chemical fungicides on controlling leaf blast.
Rice blast disease is one of the obstacles of rice production not only in Japan but throughout rice producing countries. The effects of fan-forced wind on the incidence of rice blast disease were studied in two successive seasons. Electric fans (5 KW, 110-cm blade diameter) set on the ridge of paddy fields at a height 5 m from the ground level were used to artificially generate wind. In season 1, the fan operated twice daily for 30 min periods at 11:00 pm and 4:00 am from June 15 to September 1. The blocks of the paddy fields were divided into 6 zones according to wind speed and distance from the fan. The wind speed ranged from 2.0 to >7.3 m/s. The incidence of both rice leaf and panicle blast was significantly lower in the zones receiving wind between 2.6 and 7.3 m/s; however, the zone that received a velocity >7.3 m/s was severely affected by leaf and panicle blast. The zone that received the a wind speed of 2.6 m/s or lower exhibited an inefficient reduction of leaf and panicle blast disease, but it was better than in the control fields. In season 2, a wind-forced fan was applied from June 16 to September 9, with the velocity adjusted between ca. 3.0 and 6.0 m/s. The incidence and severity of leaf and panicle blasts (chuff, rachis-branch and neck blast) were efficiently reduced in the wind-treated fields. Fan-forced wind was more effective than the application of conventional chemical fungicides for controlling rice blast disease. These data demonstrate the potential of fan-forced wind for controlling rice blast disease.
