Paradigm Shift in Detection of Rice Diseases and Their Management

Rice is the staple food crop for about 65% of the Indian population, contributing 40% of total food grain production, thus occupies a pivotal role in the food and livelihood security of people. During the last 60 years, productivity has increased by five times, and this growth has come mainly from yield increase. Increasing productivity has now become challenging due to the degradation of natural resources and the problem of changing climate. Thus, future production has to be included in a more efficient and environment friendly production system. An efficient production system includes efficient management of rice diseases, cause losses both quantitatively and qualitatively, due to pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Major fungal diseases which affect the crop health are blast, sheath blight, brown spot, false smut, bacterial blight, bacterial streak, bakanae, etc. The impacts of these diseases are very devastating and widespread in different rice-growing areas. In order to minimize the disease-induced damage during the rice-growing period and for maximizing productivity it is necessary to monitoring health of plant and detecting pathogen in early stage for avoiding further spread of disease and initiating management practices at proper time. In this book chapter, we will focus on the conventional detection method such as visual 2observation to paradigm shift to advanced detection methodology including use of modern tools along with use of portable monitoring sensors and judiciary use of disease management practices such as cultural practices, source of planting material, epidemiology, forecasting models, biological control and use of new generation chemicals including recent focused research on development of nano-formulation to bio-intensive approaches.