Evaluation of resistance to stem rot and yield losses caused by the disease in rice

Amongst nine inoculation techniques evaluated, inoculation of Sclerotium oryzae with inoculum multiplied on rice grain husk + sand medium produced maximum disease (62%) under pot conditions followed by inoculation with inoculum raised on rice stem and Typha pieces. Inoculation of injured plants with air-dried sclerotia produced more disease vis-a-vis uninjured plants. The disease caused a significant reduction in grain weight and number of grains per panicle and increased the number of chaffy grains in different varieties of rice. Out of 234 rice genotypes evaluated, none of the genotypes was consistently resistant. However, thirty-eight genotypes showed moderately resistant reaction.