Abstract
This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficiency of electrolyzed water for controlling rice blast disease caused by a fungal pathogen, Magnaporthe grisea. Inoculation experiments were performed using three races (007, 017 and 303) of M. grisea as the inoculum and two cultivars (Koshihikari and Nakate-shinsenbon) of rice (Oryza sativa L.) as the hosts. The percentage of conidial germination of the fugus in electrolyzed acid water and alkaline water was significantly decreased compared to that in distilled water. Electrolyzed acid water and alkaline water showed suppressive effects against the disease when they were sprayed to leaves 1 d before the inoculation of conidia, but they were ineffective when sprayed 1 d after the inoculation. The suppressive effect of electrolyzed acid water and alkaline water against rice blast disease was smaller than that of a fungicide. Electrolyzed acid water and alkaline water showed the similar protective effect against the disease. These suggest that both of electrolyzed acid water and alkaline water have a high suppressive effect against rice blast disease when they are sprayed on rice plant before the pathogen penetrates into plant tissues.
