Blast disease attacks Boro fields at Tanore

RAJSHAHI, May 21: Boro paddy fields on vast tracts at Tanore upazila here have come under attack by the 'Sheath Blight' and 'Blast' diseases.
The farmers have expressed their anxiety saying that they couldn't check the attack by using any kind of insecticide in recent times as most of the paddy were seen damaged due to the attack.
Agriculture office sources said, Sheath Blight is a fungal disease caused by Rhizoctonia Solani, and following the attack, the infected leaves dry out and die rapidly.
Meanwhile, Blast is caused by the fungus Magnaporthe Oryzae, and it can affect the entire paddy plant above the ground.
At Tanore, two types of Boro were cultivated this year while the 'Advance Boro' was cultivated in Bilkumari fen and the 'Nala Boro' was recently planted in other areas. Advance Boro paddy was seen damaged due to the attack of the disease.
On the other hand, the leaves of Nala Boro paddy were seen damaged and turned red coloured. The farmers have already used different insecticides to get rid of the disease, but with no positive result.
The farmers alleged that no block supervisor of agriculture office has yet been seen to visit the affected lands, and they usually did not give any suggestion to them.
"We are using insecticide following the instruction of the sellers. Though they are getting benefited, we are becoming victims," said some farmers.
Abdur Razzak, a farmer of Kishnopur area in the upazila, said, "I cultivated Boro on 100-bigha land after harvesting potato but most of the paddy leaves were attacked. The Boro production cost is more than the last year's, but we are after all frustrated with whatever we are seeing in the field."
Habibur Rahman of Chimna village in the upazila said, "I cultivated Boro on 25-bigha land this year. But the fields were attacked by Sheath Blight and Blast diseases. Most of the leaves of the paddy plants turned reddish and are dying slowly."
Agriculturist Mominul Islam said, "No insecticide can defeat the Sheath Blight and Blast diseases. The farmers need to use standard seed to get relief from the attack of the disease."
While contacted, Tanore Upazila Agriculture Officer Shafiqul Islam said that they were aware of the problem and continuously contacted with block supervisors. The diseases have spread due to the recent stormy weather, he added.
"We are taking necessary steps following the report of block supervisors to get rid of the diseases," Shafiqul Islam added.