Effective Biocontrol of Rice Blast through Dipping Transplants and Foliar Applications

Rice (Oryza sativa) is an increasingly popular food in Africa. As much as 30% of yields are lost due to blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae. Several commercial biopesticides Bacillus subtilis, Trichoderma asperellum, and Serratia sp. strains were evaluated under field conditions for their effects against rice yield at one site Kenya three sites Tanzania 2020 2021. Each biopesticide was applied a dipping treatment transplanting, post-transplanting foliar spraying, or both. Using not only achieved control but also increased grain yield, particularly low-production regions Tanzania, with increase >100%. For higher-production low pressure, the through over untreated limited, although significant suppression achieved. Dipping alone sufficient suppress improve unless pressure high. The differences among varied site/year generally small. Improved using unlikely result solely from reduced development, improved plant development. present study suggests that these should be production, subsistence farming.