Rice Blast

Magnaporthe grisea, also known as rice blast fungus, rice rotten neck, rice seedling blight, blast of rice, oval leaf spot of graminea, pitting disease, ryegrass blast, Johnson spot, neck blast, wheat blast and Imochi (稲熱), is a plant-pathogenic fungus and model organism that causes a serious disease affecting rice. It is now known that M. grisea consists of a cryptic species complex containing at least two biological species that have clear genetic differences and do not interbreed.

A fungal disease (Magnaporthe oryzae) that produces diamond shaped lesions on rice leaves, stems and panicles and is considered the most destructive disease of cultivated rice worldwide.

Another strategy would be to plant resistant rice varieties that are not as susceptible to infection by M. grisea.

Chemical controls such as Carpropamid have been shown to prevent penetration of the appressoria into rice epidermal cells, leaving the grain unaffected.