Leaf scald
(Microdochium Oryzae)

Symptoms
Zonate lesions of alternating light tan and dark brown starting from leaf tips or edges Lesions oblong with light brown halos in mature leaves Coalescing of lesions result in blighting of a large part of the leaf blade The affected areas dry out giving the leaf a scalded appearance Translucent leaf tips and margins Infected leaf tips also split near the midrib especially when there are strong wind.
	Rice Leaf Scald Disease	Leaf Scald
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		Identification of pathogen
		The conidia are borne on superficial stromata (compact masses of specialized vegetative hyphae) arising from lesions. They are bow to new-moon shaped, single-celled when young and 2-celled when mature, occasionally 2-3 septate. Asci are cylindrical to club-shaped and unitunicate (an ascus wherein both the inner and outer walls are more or less rigid and do not separate during spore ejection). The ascospores are fusoid (tapering towards each end), straight or somewhat curved, 3-5 septate.
Conidia of Rice Leaf Scald Pathogen	Rice Leaf Scald Pathogen
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Management Strategies
Avoid high use of fertilizer. Chemicals such as benomyl, carbendazim, quitozene, and thiophanate-methyl can be used to treat the seeds to eliminate the disease. In the field, spraying of benomyl, fentin acetate, edifenphos, and validamycin significantly reduce the incidence of leaf scald. Foliar application of captafol, mancozeb, and copper oxychloride also reduces the incidence and severity of the fungal disease.
	Mancozeb	Validamycin
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