INFLUENCE OF METEOROLOGY FACTORS ON RICE BLAST IN HAU GIANG PROVINCE

Abstract

Rice blast caused by Pyricularia oryzae, was one of the most devastative diseases on rice plant. The pathogen could attack rice plant during growth and development of rice plant on rice leaf, internode, and panicle. The aim of the study was to determine correlations among the meteorology factors and rice blast, as a result, a prediction model of rice blast occurrence was built to limit the lowest yield damages of rice plant cultivated in Hau Giang province. Secondary data of an agricultural cultivation were collected from Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hau Giang province in the period between January 2017 and December 2019. The meteorology factors including a maximum, average, and minimum temperature, a maximum, average, and minimum humidity, precipitation, and a sunny hour had an influence on a percentage of rice-cultivated area which was infected by rice blast with correlation coefficient ranged from 0.10 to 0.55. Especially, the factor of average humidity played the most important role for prediction of rice blast appearance. Therefore, the average humidity should be prioritized to evaluate in rice blast management.