bacterial leaf blight BLB rice yellow drying leaves
3 Answers
Manage bacterial leaf blight (BLB) by using resistant varieties, balanced nitrogen, and good drainage, as there is no fully effective chemical cure once it spreads. BLB shows as yellow to straw coloured drying along leaf margins, worse after heavy rain, wind damage or flooding and excess nitrogen. Avoid standing water and movement through wet infected fields, and do not apply more nitrogen when the disease appears. Some farmers use copper based sprays or a streptocycline plus copper oxychloride combination as a suppressive measure, but prevention through variety choice and nutrient balance is the real solution. Use clean certified seed and confirm any spray with your KVK.
BLB came badly the year of strong winds and heavy urea. Now I cut nitrogen and pick tolerant varieties.
Once it appears, the most useful thing I did was stop top dressing urea and drain the standing water. Adding more nitrogen made my neighbour's patch far worse than mine.