Recently, several farmers raised the concern over “foot rot” disease in the saplings of the Basmati variety of paddy in the nurseries.
About Foot rot disease:
- It is also known as Bakanae Disease.
- It is a soil and seed-borne deadly fungus which is seen only in the Basmati variety of paddy.
- It is caused by ‘Fusarium verticillioides’ fungi.
- The infected saplings turn pale yellow and become elongated and later, the saplings start drying and usually die.
- Symptoms sometimes appear after transplantation and the infected plants first grow way taller than the normal plants and die after a few days.
Key Facts about Basmati Rice
- India is known for its Basmati rice, with the produce from seven States — Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand — earmarked for Geographical Indication.
- It is known for its mouthfeel, aroma, and length of the grain when cooked and tasted, has a market abroad and brings about ₹30,000 crores in foreign exchange every year.