Tekalign Zeleke*
An investigation was carried out at Fogera National Rice Research and Training Center during 2016 and 2017 cropping season in lowland rice ecosystem to evaluate different rice seed treatment and foliar application of organic product (crude neem seed kernel extract) and fungicide (mancozeb) against sheath rot disease, Sarocladium oryzea. The study was designed to six different treatment combinations viz. seed treated with hot water, hot water treatment with supplementary foliar application of neemat booting stage, hot water treatment with supplementary foliar application of Mancozeb (sabozeb 80%), seeds treated with sodium chloride (NaCl) 5%, NaCl treatment with supplementary foliar application of neem at booting stage, NaCl treatment with supplementary foliar application of Mancozeb (sabozeb 80%) at boot stage and untreated plot was used as negative checkunder field condition in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The effect of rice seed treated with hot water treatment was reduced the sheath rot disease incidence from 56.7% to 21.8% and severity from 62.7% to 18.3% when compared to NaCl seed treatment and supplementary foliar application with Mancozeb and neem at booting stage. In the present study rice seed treated with solely with hot water was announced as promising and the best alternative management of sheath rot disease in paddy rice field.