Ludhiana: PAU warns farmers against foot rot, bats for healthy nursery

Farmers using nurseries of paddy and basmati varieties from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana must make sure that these are healthy, disease free and prepared from treated-seed

In the wake of re-transplanting of paddy and basmati nursery in the flood-affected areas of Punjab, the experts of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have cautioned the farmers against the attack of foot rot in basmati and strictly advised to transplant only healthy paddy nursery.

Foot rot is a seed-borne disease that attacks the grains of crops through roots. (HT PHOTO)

As per the field observations, incidence of foot rot of basmati is increasing in Punjab due to the use of diseased nursery, revealed PS Sandhu, head of department of plant pathology. Farmers using nurseries of paddy and basmati varieties from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana must make sure that these are healthy, disease free and prepared from treated-seed, he urged.

Elaborating, Sandhu said that foot rot is a seed-borne disease which attacks the grains of the crop through its roots, becomes tall due to infestation, and ultimately dries up, resulting in the development of pink fungus. For more details, farmers are advised to contact the experts of PAU and state department of agriculture.