A hazardous disease called "false smut" attacks rice crops at the ripping stage.
It appears in soft, velvety elongated yellow balls, which turn to greenish orange and then to greenish black balls at the final stage. It can be transmitted through affected soil, seeds, and transporting agents from one rice plant to another. It can damage 35 to 40 percent of rice fields. It is due to a wet environment and overuse of fertilizer and water.
When it appears, find the point and pluck the damaged panicle manually. We can treet these seeds with 2g/kg of carbendazim. Other copper-containing chemicals, such as Cooper Oxychloride, Hexaxonazole, Propiconazole, etc., are also used to control its propagation.
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6EaQwSR1AxU/maxresdefault.jpg)