New Fungus Disease

The disease attacks the plant in an early stage of growth, infecting the young tillers at ground level (Plate 1, B). Infected plants remain small in size and are characterized by the presence of abundant dry leaves and leaf sheaths. The infected stool displays symptoms of starvation and later it may collapse completely. During the initial stage of infection, leaf sheaths on the lower part of the stalk turn reddish in colour on the outside, but when they are stripped off, a white fungus mycelium is exposed. Where infection has penetrated at a node, water soak marks are to be found on the rind extending downwards from the node and leaf scar (Plate 2, A). Microscopic examination has shown that the fungus exists in greatest concentration in the peripheral vascular bundles at the internodes, and in the sclerenchyma lying below the epidermal tissue of the stalk.