ragi finger millet blast neck finger blast leaf fungicide tolerant variety
How do I control blast disease in ragi (finger millet)?
MMahadevappa8mo ago · 327 views
5 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓8mo ago
Blast is the main disease of ragi, appearing as leaf blast with spindle lesions, and more damaging as neck blast and finger blast that rot the neck and fingers of the ear and cause big grain loss. Manage it by growing tolerant or resistant varieties, treating seed before sowing, avoiding excess nitrogen and very dense planting that raise humidity, and rotating crops. If blast appears, especially as the crop nears heading, a recommended fungicide such as tricyclazole can be sprayed at early symptoms and again to protect the neck and fingers at heading, similar to rice blast management. Field sanitation and balanced fertiliser reduce pressure. Blast is worse in cool, humid, cloudy weather, so monitor closely then. Confirm fungicide and dose with your local KVK.
SSiddaraju8mo ago
Neck blast hit my ears the year I gave too much urea. Tolerant variety plus a spray at heading reduced the finger rot a lot.
KKandasamy7mo ago
In Tamil Nadu I treat my ragi seed before sowing and that knocked out most of the early leaf blast for me. Starting clean meant far less to fight at heading time.
LLingaraju7mo ago
One caution: watch the weather closely as the ears come out, because in a cool cloudy damp spell neck blast can appear in a day or two. I keep the spray ready and protect the neck and fingers right at heading rather than waiting to see damage.
VVenkataramana6mo ago
In Andhra I stopped overcrowding my ragi and gave balanced fertiliser instead of heavy nitrogen, and the blast pressure eased clearly. A more open, well-fed crop stayed drier in the canopy and the disease spread less.