Bangladeshi farmers are struggling with five major crop diseases, likely reducing the crop yield by up to 62% annually. Researchers suggest no effective insecticides for these diseases except for taking precautions and preventive measures. Rice blast disease, rice tungro disease, wheat blast disease, jute stem rot and powdery mildew are the five major types of crop diseases in Bangladesh, according to researchers and the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI). Bangladesh, the fourth-highest rice-producing country in the world, produces around 39 million tons of rice and around 1.1 million tons of wheat annually to feed its 170 million people, according to the government. In addition, it produces 1.6 million tons of jute annually. However, researchers say that while some diseases are old, their types change over time. The three important crops scientists in Bangladesh research are paddy, wheat and jute. As an example, Shamim Shamsi, a botany professor at the University of Dhaka, said rice blast disease is not new, but in the case of new types or variants that have come, pesticides no longer work. Terming it a severe disease, BRRI said rice blast is a fungal disease very common in two major rice-producing seasons: Boro (January to April) and Amon (August to November). The disease can appear in favorable weather, from seedlings to the ripening stage. It can attack rice leaves, necks, panicles, collars and other parts of the plant; the yield could eventually be completely destroyed. Terming it a severe disease, BRRI said rice blast is a fungal…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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