Plant diseases

1 tablespoon of baking soda with half teaspoon of liquid soap and 1 gallon of water is mixed together and sprayed over the infected area to reduce the occurrence of powdery mildew. This is useful to prevent the disease, but is less effective once the disease has started.

When baking soda is sprayed on plants, it disrupts the ion balance of fungal cells, which causes them to collapse. Also, fungal spores are eliminated because the baking soda leaves alkaline residues on the surface of plants. Apart from acting as a fungicide, it has several other benefits in the garden.

Iron toxicity in rice is known as browning of rice. Iron toxicity is the major problem to rice production in water logged acid- sulphate soils of ultisols & oxisols soil orders. The beginning of iron toxicity is characterized by the appearance of purple coloration at the leaf tips and finally has a scorched appearance. Phalguna variety is tolerance to iron toxicity.

It is the disease which usually occurs in rice due to zinc deficiency at the nursery stage. The tip of the zinc deficient leaves first become yellow and then dry and plant remained stunted. It can be identified by the appearance of rust coloured or brownish red coloration on the surface of the outer leaves. It can be managed by spraying of @ 5 kg zinc sulphate at nursery stage or foliar spray of 0.5 percent Zinc sulphate in early stage of crop.

Seed treatment with Pseudomonas fluorescens ( Pf 1 ) @ 10 g /kg and foliar spray of Pf1 2 g/lit or Spray Wettable sulphur 1 kg/ha or Dinocap 250 ml/ha at the time of initial appearance of the disease and 2nd spray at 10 days interval. Neem seed kernel extracts 5 % spray thrice (1st spray immediately after the appearance of disease, 2nd and 3rd at 10 days interval).