Blast disease affects crops in Bangladesh

Date:04-26-2011

Thousands of farmers are struggling with a massive crop loss of hybrid rice 'Jhalak' in Noakhali district. The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said Jhalak was cultivated on 1665 hectares, of which 465 hectares were entirely ruined and the rest partially. Flower-spikes of most of the plants have dried or are drying before the paddy ripened.
 
DAE blamed fluctuating temperature and blast disease for the debacle.

Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), however, held the seed supplier responsible for the loss.
 
Jhalak rice cultivation started in the district last monsoon 2010 with only 12 hectares. A high yield made the other farmers interested.

source: A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>