Abstract
In field observations it has been noted that the rice blast disease outbreaks severely after the stormy weather. To study this connection experimentally, the present work was carried out. Rice plants were exposed to an artificial strong wind for several hours, and then the blast fungus, Piricularia oryzae CAV., was inoculated to them. As the results of the experiments, a marked increase of the infection was observed on the treated plants.
This may be attributed mainly to the facilitated infection occurred through the wounds produced on the foliage leaves due to the mutual rubbing or fluttering in the strong wind. Furthermore some physiological disorders of the host plant brought. about by remarkable dryness or mechanical injury of the leaves induced by the wind, were noted also as the possible factors lowering the resistance against the attacks of the present fungus.
