Rice Blast Disease Warning

[IsaanAussie]

Check this out. I think our crop is effected. Some homework needed quickly, anyone else effected or seen an action plan?

 

 

[grollies]

No mate. Sorry to hear that about your rice crop. Fellow farmer wishing you all the best.

[IsaanAussie]

Since I came back I have noticed a major issue with damping off of other types of seedlings in our soils. Things I have tried to grow from seed and cuttings have germinated poorly and those successes die off quickly. Much worst than before. Don't know if it is related but I am sure the "bad guy" fungii are alive and well. Tricodermia come on down!!!

The blast is worse in areas that have been driest. 

To date the damage seems to be very poor grain fill, but too early to know what the yield will be.

[farmerjo]

Sorry to hear IA.

Anyone got  drone in your area,that would be the best way to tackle it.

If not a mister is next best option.

https://bayer.co.th/cropscience/th/product_detail/nativo

[farmerjo]

Do you have crop insurance.

http:// The state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) plans to expand crop insurance to cover fruit and dairy farming in response to farmers' interest in protection against natural disasters. The bank is conducting a study to offer crop insurance for durian, even though the fruit's price remains high, said executive vice-president Somkiat Kimawaha. The fruit's peak normally lasts 3-4 years before prices fall, Mr Somkiat said. Crop insurance in Thailand is limited to rice and corn, while the state-backed farm bank provides insurance for longan and dairy cattle as pilot projects. Mr Somkiat said farmers are more enthusiastic about taking out crop insurance, as seen by larger insured areas. Some 1.9 million farmers took out crop insurance for this crop year, in the purchase period that just ended on June 30, to provide coverage for 28.2 million rai of farmland, compared with 27.6 million in the previous year. Insurance premiums for this crop year amounted to 2.58 billion baht, up from 2.48 billion baht a year earlier. Moreover, 90,000 farmers took out crop insurance for more than 15 rai, for which the government provided subsidy. The incremental area totalled 1.3 million rai of farmland. Participating farmers were charged an insurance premium of 59 baht per rai, with the government subsidising 35.40 baht per rai and the BAAC paying 23.60 baht per rai for its customers. Non-BAAC customers must cover the non-subsidy if they have taken out rice insurance. Crop insurance covers six natural disasters: floods, drought, storms, cold, hail and fires. Under the scheme, farmers receive compensation of 1,260 baht per rai for crops damaged by natural disasters. They can further secure 630 baht per rai for damage caused by pests and disease. Mr Somkiat said 96,000 farmers claimed rice insurance of 1.27 billion baht in the previous crop year

[IsaanAussie]

Just now, farmerjo said:

Do you have crop insurance.

 

I think she who shall be obeyed did get some sort of deal going. Time will tell.

 

[farmerjo]

Hi IA,

Read your last post on his subject in the other section but prefer to reply here to keep on topic.

So it sounds like your prepared to take a double knock on the inputs costs you have outlayed already and loss of yield to control at a later date

As farangs we can ride a storm a little better than most locals as there livelyhood would be relying on that crop.

I don't know much about the disease first hand but am guessing burning the field would be the 1st step after harvest then going ahead with a tricodermia application which can be done a few ways.

Mixed with compost,applied after green manuring in sunn hemp etc.

Not knowing the rates they use in Thailand,i guess my question is how to you get 800 grams a rai of this stuff spread even on the field.

Sorry for the late edit,it looks like there suggesting 10 kilo's/rai for Thailands conditions in the article. 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2019 by farmerjo

[farmerjo]

Ok found this,could be a good tool for me using it incorporating it on the seed.

http://agropedia.iitk.ac.in/content/trichoderma-bio-control-agent-management-soil-born-diseases

Edited November 6, 2019 by farmerjo

[IsaanAussie]

I agree this is the forum for this subject. I started this topic after reading the news post.

I would rather not take a "Knock" at all, but I can't see adding any further input costs as achieving anything, too late. We will get a yield of sorts as it is only three or 4 weeks til we harvest. I need to do a bit more research and then go take another look at where the damage is on the plants to figure out where we stand.

I doubt burning the stubble will get rid of the fungus spores so at least at first I will try a biological fix. The difficult part will be keep the soil moisture etc right to encourage the spores to activate and then let the trico fungus out-compete it. Both need conditions and "food" to stay active. I doubt just broadcasting trico spores will do anything much until the next wet. 

Got a few ideas on how to do that, hopefully using the stubble to incubate the trico then incorporating it prior to seeding some form of fodder crop. 

[Isaanbiker]

2 hours ago, IsaanAussie said:

I think she who shall be obeyed did get some sort of deal going. Time will tell.

 

Best of luck. I know some "farmers" who always tell them how many fields got flooded, etc and they always receive a good compensation. 

[IsaanAussie]

Just now, farmerjo said:

Ok found this,could be a good tool for me using it incorporating it on the seed.

http://agropedia.iitk.ac.in/content/trichoderma-bio-control-agent-management-soil-born-diseases

This is one of the articles I have been looking at. Head is spinning at the moment. All thoughts gratefully received. 

[khwaibah]

So far so good in my part of Surin. Just now starting to harvest about us..????

[farmerjo]

Ours is still a little way off,sticky rice not jasmine.

Will have to find out the variety off the FIL to see what characteristics it has in resistance to diseases.

I know it's not resistant to baht,that small rice area has cost more then i spent on a 65 rai crop of sunn hemp.

 

 

 

 

[drtreelove]

On 11/5/2019 at 10:43 PM, IsaanAussie said:

 

I doubt burning the stubble will get rid of the fungus spores so at least at first I will try a biological fix. The difficult part will be keep the soil moisture etc right to encourage the spores to activate and then let the trico fungus out-compete it. Both need conditions and "food" to stay active. I doubt just broadcasting trico spores will do anything much until the next wet. 

Got a few ideas on how to do that, hopefully using the stubble to incubate the trico then incorporating it prior to seeding some form of fodder crop. 

Good point. Bio-fungicide product input not enough, like Trichoderma h. Must create conditions for beneficial biology to survive and thrive. Humic substances is one important factor. 

 

"Humic substances, such as those listed in the above title, play a vital role in soil fertility and
plant nutrition. Plants grown on soils which contain adequate humin, humic adds (HAs), and
fulvic adds (FAs) are less subject to stress, are healthier, produce higher yields; and the
nutritional quality of harvested foods and feeds are superior. The value of humic substances in
soil fertility and plant nutrition relates to the many functions these complex organic compounds
perform as a part of the life cycle on earth. The life death cycle involves a recycling of the
carbon containing structural components of plants and animals through the soil and air and
back into the living plant.
Man became distracted from the importance of organic compound cycling when it was
discovered that soluble acidic based N P K "fertilizers" could stimulate plant growth. Large
industrial concerns took advantage of the N P K discovery to market industrially processed
"fertilizers" from mineral deposit. Continued use of these acidic fertilizers in the absence of
adequate humic substances (in the soil) has caused many serious sociological and ecological
problems. Man needs to reconsider his approach to fertilization techniques by giving higher
priority to soil humus.
The urgency to emphasize the importance of humic substances and their value as fertilizer
ingredients has never been more important than it is today. All those concerned about the
ability of soils to support plant growth need to assist in educating the public. Humic substances
are recognized by most soil scientists and agronomists as the most important component of a
healthy fertile soil. To illustrate how humic substances function, the following summary, based
on published scientific data, has been prepared as a guide for an educational program. In
addition, by understanding how these carbon containing substances function, professionals will
have a solid foundation on which to design environmentally acceptable sustainable agriculture
programs."

https://humates.com/pdf/ORGANICMATTERPettit.pdf

[farmerjo]

What are the PH levels in your rice fields IA?

 

 

 

[IsaanAussie]

57 minutes ago, farmerjo said:

What are the PH levels in your rice fields IA?

 

 

 

Good question I will take a look. 

[farmerjo]

A good quick look at the disease.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxB5gjtXIR8

[kickstart]

2 hours ago, IsaanAussie said:

Good question I will take a look. 

I would say have a look at the mineral containt of the soil as well ,with a mono culture of rice the soil must be short of most minerals .

I can remember before FJ applied the gypsum to his soil he posted a very comprehensive  soil analysis ,looking at that analysis the soil was almost RIP dead .

I would say along with 70% ??? of Thai farms organic matter ,or lack of is the main problem .

[IsaanAussie]

1 hour ago, kickstart said:

I would say have a look at the mineral containt of the soil as well ,with a mono culture of rice the soil must be short of most minerals .

I can remember before FJ applied the gypsum to his soil he posted a very comprehensive  soil analysis ,looking at that analysis the soil was almost RIP dead .

I would say along with 70% ??? of Thai farms organic matter ,or lack of is the main problem .

Spot on, true.... Is there a decent soil test lab here yet? Got spoiled for choices back in Oz over the last few years. Can also guarantee there has been nothing put into my farm since I left other than NPK. 

[drtreelove]

3 hours ago, IsaanAussie said:

Spot on, true.... Is there a decent soil test lab here yet? Got spoiled for choices back in Oz over the last few years. Can also guarantee there has been nothing put into my farm since I left other than NPK. 

If you have been using Nutri Tech soil testing,  http://www.nutri-tech.com.au/ then you have certainly been spoiled by the best, and I would recommend putting the effort and a little money to continue with their modern program, or send to the lab we use in the US. https://loganlabs.com/.  Evolare, bonemeal.net is now using this lab and has run tests for several farms throughout Thailand. All I've seen are yes, very deficient in the major anions S an P, and the major cations Ca, Mg, K and Na. as well as B, Mn an Zn and sometimes others.  I can help with advise on sampling, sending, soil import permit and follow up recommendations for mineral and biological amendments. 

 

Central and the Thai university labs, Kasetsart, MaeJo U, Chiang Mai U are using the old SLAN model (Sufficiency Level of Applied Nutrients) which is outdated and oriented to chemical farming, in comparison with the CEC - cation balancing based model of Dr William Albrecht inspired new agromomy revolution. 

[drtreelove]

6 hours ago, kickstart said:

I would say have a look at the mineral containt of the soil as well ,with a mono culture of rice the soil must be short of most minerals .

I can remember before FJ applied the gypsum to his soil he posted a very comprehensive  soil analysis ,looking at that analysis the soil was almost RIP dead .

I would say along with 70% ??? of Thai farms organic matter ,or lack of is the main problem .

OM is hard to maintain in the tropics because of warmth and rain and rapid decomp.  Green manuring is an economical method to do your best at OM content and other benefits. 

 

The primary problem in Thailand from what I've seen in comparing soil tests from different regions, is extremely low CEC (cation exchange capacity), due to monsoon climate leaching and from cropping use without comprehensive replenishment. 

http://www.soilminerals.com/Cation_Exchange_Simplified.htm

[IsaanAussie]

Nutrient levels and organic matter content are important but I think this particular fungal "disease" has to be combated from a biological stand point. The spores will build up in the soil if unchecked. It also concerns me that it may be spread by using the straw in other locations. 

To date I haven't seen any reference to this issue, has anyone got any clues, seen any posts?

[IsaanAussie]

A quick comment on the government assistance program here in our village. Note: only what I could make of conversations here, grain of salt please.

This morning it was announced that the cut off point is a yield of 40kg/rai or less. You have to have photographic evidence of the disease in the crop prior to harvest and some pictures have to show the PuiYai and other village elders in the shot on site. An estimate of the area of damage has to be prepared of your land. Also some form of report prepared and submitted for the whole village by the PuiYai.

The compensation is 400 baht per rai I think.

More as it comes to hand (or changes).

[grollies]

14 hours ago, drtreelove said:

OM is hard to maintain in the tropics because of warmth and rain and rapid decomp.  Green manuring is an economical method to do your best at OM content and other benefits. 

 

The primary problem in Thailand from what I've seen in comparing soil tests from different regions, is extremely low CEC (cation exchange capacity), due to monsoon climate leaching and from cropping use without comprehensive replenishment. 

http://www.soilminerals.com/Cation_Exchange_Simplified.htm

There is some good advice from Geoff Lawton about mulching with different types of green manure and what type to use for differing climes. As an aside and pointed out by @IsaanAussie post #23 I had a problem with imported rice straw for mulch bringing in fungal spores and ruining a tomato raised bed a couple of years back. I now let the grass grow to about 2m tall and then strim, gather and use as mulch. I think it is much better to use what you have on site rather than importing materials from outside.

 

 

[IsaanAussie]

13 hours ago, drtreelove said:

OM is hard to maintain in the tropics because of warmth and rain and rapid decomp.  Green manuring is an economical method to do your best at OM content and other benefits. 

In context of rice blast, it seems to me that if you treat seeds of a green manure crop with trichodermia it should offer competition to the blast fungii as the crop grows if the manure crop is drilled into the rice stubble and there is sufficient moisture. I am thinking of giving it a shot after we harvest our Mali 105. 

 

 

[farmerjo]

56 minutes ago, IsaanAussie said:

Nutrient levels and organic matter content are important but I think this particular fungal "disease" has to be combated from a biological stand point. The spores will build up in the soil if unchecked. It also concerns me that it may be spread by using the straw in other locations. 

To date I haven't seen any reference to this issue, has anyone got any clues, seen any posts?

Burn the stubble.

Deep rip if someone around has a ripper and dry the soil out.

 

[IsaanAussie]

Just now, farmerjo said:

Burn the stubble.

Deep rip if someone around has a ripper and dry the soil out.

 

Do you think that will get rid of the fungal spores? 

More generally, we have always had an issue with damping off. Not the same issue but I feel it is related. My compost used to be great for the garden, but didn't get rid of the damping/root rot type issues. I figure it is the spores of these disease causing spores that I will have to get rid of.

[farmerjo]

I think you would have a better chance to control it if you have less.

Then as you say a crop with the trichoderia on the seed.

You may need to get water from that dam down the road.

Also an application of gypsum will help your root system.

[JungleBiker]

21 hours ago, drtreelove said:

 

Central and the Thai university labs, Kasetsart, MaeJo U, Chiang Mai U are using the old SLAN model (Sufficiency Level of Applied Nutrients) which is outdated and oriented to chemical farming, in comparison with the CEC - cation balancing based model of Dr William Albrecht inspired new agromomy revolution. 

 

With all due respect, Albrecht's Base Cation Saturation Ratio (BCSR) method was developed in the 1930s (so it is hardly a new agronomic revolution). And furthermore, it has since been debunked. 

 

https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/opinion/by-invitation/the-albrecht-system-uneconomical-outdated/ 

https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/sssaj/abstracts/71/2/259

 

 

 

[drtreelove]

1 hour ago, JungleBiker said:

 

With all due respect, Albrecht's Base Cation Saturation Ratio (BCSR) method was developed in the 1930s (so it is hardly a new agronomic revolution). And furthermore, it has since been debunked. 

 

https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/opinion/by-invitation/the-albrecht-system-uneconomical-outdated/ 

https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/sssaj/abstracts/71/2/259

 

 

 

I said "Albrecht inspired"  The term BCSR is controversial and practices have been modified by modern proponents.  The soil testing system and practices have followers around the world because it works. 10 years ago on this forum Rice 555 introduced me to Michael Astera's work, an Albrecht inspired agronomist, author of The Ideal Soil.  After over 50 years of horticulture, as my father before me, it is the first set of principles and practices that I have seen that can transform depleted soils and revive plantings of all kinds to healthy, pest and disease free state.  It's not just a theory for me but a proven practice.

What I do all day, almost every day, is to inspect and assess plant problems and make recommendations for soil and water management and IPM . The cases where I am able to employ Mehlich 3 extraction soil testing and CEC based prescription amendments according to Ideal Soil guidelines, are where I see solid results. Take it or leave it.