Defending rice crop from blast disease in the context of climate change for food security in Nepal

Blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae (teleomorph <Magnaporthe oryzae), is one of the most devastating diseases in rice, causing 10-30% yield losses and threatening Nepal’s food and nutritional security. The Himalayan foothills are hotspots for blast fungus diversity, leading to the rapid emergence of...

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Autores principales: Khadka, Ram Bahadur, Manandhar, Hira Kaji, Shrestha, Sundar, Acharya, Basistha, Sharma, Pratiksha, Baidya, Suraj, Luu, Van Schepler, Joshi, Krishna Dev
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Frontiers Media 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176617
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author Khadka, Ram Bahadur
Manandhar, Hira Kaji
Shrestha, Sundar
Acharya, Basistha
Sharma, Pratiksha
Baidya, Suraj
Luu, Van Schepler
Joshi, Krishna Dev
author_browse Acharya, Basistha
Baidya, Suraj
Joshi, Krishna Dev
Khadka, Ram Bahadur
Luu, Van Schepler
Manandhar, Hira Kaji
Sharma, Pratiksha
Shrestha, Sundar
author_facet Khadka, Ram Bahadur
Manandhar, Hira Kaji
Shrestha, Sundar
Acharya, Basistha
Sharma, Pratiksha
Baidya, Suraj
Luu, Van Schepler
Joshi, Krishna Dev
author_sort Khadka, Ram Bahadur
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae (teleomorph <Magnaporthe oryzae), is one of the most devastating diseases in rice, causing 10-30% yield losses and threatening Nepal’s food and nutritional security. The Himalayan foothills are hotspots for blast fungus diversity, leading to the rapid emergence of pathotypes that overcome resistance in mega rice varieties. In 2022, a neck blast epidemic devastated 5,000 hectares of Hardinath-1, a dry winter/spring rice variety in Chitwan, causing nearly 100% yield loss. The changing climate, especially during panicle initiation stages, has become more favourable for neck blast development. We reviewed 40 years of research and development on rice blast in Nepal, analysing historical weather patterns and mapping the incidence and severity of the disease across the country based on empirical observations and field experiments. Using historical data on rice blast incidence and climate information, we show that rice blast pressure is increasing intensively and changing weather patterns are becoming more favourable for rice blast epidemics. We identify emerging issues in rice blast and propose integrated strategies for effective management in Nepal. Key approaches include developing durable blast-resistant and climate-resilient rice varieties using molecular markers and genomic tools and speed breeding, forecasting disease and pathotype emergence, and combining these with careful use of modern fungicides, plant defence activators, and biological control. Additionally, adjusting planting times, managing weeds, optimising agronomic practices, and ensuring proper water and nutrient management are essential for sustainable blast management.
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spelling CGSpace1766172025-12-08T10:29:22Z Defending rice crop from blast disease in the context of climate change for food security in Nepal Khadka, Ram Bahadur Manandhar, Hira Kaji Shrestha, Sundar Acharya, Basistha Sharma, Pratiksha Baidya, Suraj Luu, Van Schepler Joshi, Krishna Dev rice pyricularia oryzae blasts crop yield yield losses food security climate change plant breeding molecular markers fungicides biological control Blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae (teleomorph <Magnaporthe oryzae), is one of the most devastating diseases in rice, causing 10-30% yield losses and threatening Nepal’s food and nutritional security. The Himalayan foothills are hotspots for blast fungus diversity, leading to the rapid emergence of pathotypes that overcome resistance in mega rice varieties. In 2022, a neck blast epidemic devastated 5,000 hectares of Hardinath-1, a dry winter/spring rice variety in Chitwan, causing nearly 100% yield loss. The changing climate, especially during panicle initiation stages, has become more favourable for neck blast development. We reviewed 40 years of research and development on rice blast in Nepal, analysing historical weather patterns and mapping the incidence and severity of the disease across the country based on empirical observations and field experiments. Using historical data on rice blast incidence and climate information, we show that rice blast pressure is increasing intensively and changing weather patterns are becoming more favourable for rice blast epidemics. We identify emerging issues in rice blast and propose integrated strategies for effective management in Nepal. Key approaches include developing durable blast-resistant and climate-resilient rice varieties using molecular markers and genomic tools and speed breeding, forecasting disease and pathotype emergence, and combining these with careful use of modern fungicides, plant defence activators, and biological control. Additionally, adjusting planting times, managing weeds, optimising agronomic practices, and ensuring proper water and nutrient management are essential for sustainable blast management. 2025-06-25 2025-09-23T03:03:11Z 2025-09-23T03:03:11Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176617 en Open Access application/pdf Frontiers Media Khadka, Ram Bahadur, Hira Kaji Manandhar, Sundar Shrestha, Basistha Acharya, Pratiksha Sharma, Suraj Baidya, Van Schepler Luu, and Krishna Dev Joshi. "Defending rice crop from blast disease in the context of climate change for food security in Nepal: A Review." Frontiers in Plant Science 16 (2025): 1511945.
spellingShingle rice
pyricularia oryzae
blasts
crop yield
yield losses
food security
climate change
plant breeding
molecular markers
fungicides
biological control
Khadka, Ram Bahadur
Manandhar, Hira Kaji
Shrestha, Sundar
Acharya, Basistha
Sharma, Pratiksha
Baidya, Suraj
Luu, Van Schepler
Joshi, Krishna Dev
Defending rice crop from blast disease in the context of climate change for food security in Nepal
title Defending rice crop from blast disease in the context of climate change for food security in Nepal
title_full Defending rice crop from blast disease in the context of climate change for food security in Nepal
title_fullStr Defending rice crop from blast disease in the context of climate change for food security in Nepal
title_full_unstemmed Defending rice crop from blast disease in the context of climate change for food security in Nepal
title_short Defending rice crop from blast disease in the context of climate change for food security in Nepal
title_sort defending rice crop from blast disease in the context of climate change for food security in nepal
topic rice
pyricularia oryzae
blasts
crop yield
yield losses
food security
climate change
plant breeding
molecular markers
fungicides
biological control
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176617
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