Efficacy of Hexaconazole 5% SC against Sheath Blight on Rice and Its Compatibility with Insecticides

Among the fungal diseases causing significant yield loss in rice, sheath blight ranked the second most important rice disease worldwide after blast. A study on compatibility was undertaken with effective fungicide Hexaconazole 5% SC with insecticides and micronutrient under field condition with treatments laid out in a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications at the Agricultural Research Station, Gangavati, during Kharif 2012 and Summer 2012-13. The results revealed that Sheath blight incidence was minimum in the treatments with Hexaconazole 5% SC alone and in combination with Buprofezin 20% + Acephate 50% WP during both seasons. The efficacy of Hexaconazole was not affected due to the combination with Buprofezin 20% + Acephate 50% WP. During Kharif, the combined treatment recorded 16.53 per cent disease incidence with a yield of 73.7 q/ha, compared to 17.63 per cent and 63.5 q/ha, respectively, with Hexaconazole alone. Similarly, during summer, the combination treatment resulted in 14.43 per cent disease incidence and the highest yield (77.3 q/ha). The grain yield data indicated that, Hexaconazole 5% SC in combination with Buprofezin 20% + Acephate 50% WP record the higher yield compared to the individual treatments and the untreated control. Hence, Hexaconazole 5% SC is compatible with Buprofezin 20% + Acephate 50% WP with respect to enhanced grain yield in rice.