EFFECT OF SILICON (SiO2) TO CONTROL BIPOLARIS LEAF BLIGHT AND TO IMPROVE SEED HEALTH STATUS OF WHEAT

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the research field of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur from December 2022 to April 2023 to evaluate the effectiveness of various doses of silicon dioxide (SiO2) as treatment to control leaf blight (Bipolaris sorokiniana) and to improve seed health status of wheat. In this experiment, three treatments were studied, T1 = Silicon dioxide @60 kg ha-1, T2 = Silicon dioxide @120 kg ha-1, T3= Silicon dioxide @180 kg ha-1. Two varieties were used, V1= BWMRI Gom-1 and V2= BWMRI Gom-2 within three replications and the experiment was set up as Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Bipolaris leaf blight severity, seed health (seed number associated with pathogens and percent germination), plant height, spike length, thousands seed weight, biological yield, yield index and yield were significantly varied with different treatments. Minimum disease severity was recorded from Silicon dioxide @60 kg ha-1 on flag leaves at 67 DAS (2.3%), 72 DAS (6.44%), 77 DAS (6.77%), 82 DAS (8.35%) also on flag-1 leaves at 67 DAS (1.54%), 72 DAS (3.31%), 77 DAS (5.97%) and 82 DAS (11.12%). Minimum disease severity was recorded in BWMRI Gom-1 on flag leaf at 67 DAS (1.90%), 72 DAS (4.55%), 77 DAS (5.69%), 82 DAS (9.01%) and also on flag-1 leaves at 67 DAS (0.67%), 72 DAS (2.15%), 77 DAS (5.68%) and 82 DAS (10.19%). As a treatment variety interaction, the lowest disease severity on flag leaf was recorded from BWMRI Gom-1 with silicon dioxide @60 kg ha-1 interaction at 67 DAS (1.39%), 77 DAS (5.12%), 82 DAS (7.03%) and from BWMRI Gom-1 with Silicon dioxide @120 kg ha-1 interaction at 72 DAS (3.80%). Also the lowest disease severity on flag-1 leaves was recorded from BWMRI Gom-1 with Silicon dioxide @60 kg ha-1 at 67 DAS (0.0%), 72 DAS (1.11%), 77 DAS (3.72%) and 82 DAS (5.92%). As a treatment, minimum seed number was affected with Bipolaris sorokiniana was recorded from Silicon dioxide @60 kg ha-1 (10.13%). As a variety, minimum seed number was affected with Bipolaris sorokiniana was recorded from BWMRI Gom-1 (10.92%). Treatment variety interaction of BWMRI Gom-1 with Silicon dioxide @60 kg ha-1 showed minimum (8.18%) seed number was affected with Bipolaris sorokiniana. Highest grain yield (4.72 t ha-1) was obtained from silicon dioxide @60 kg ha-1. Maximum grain yield (4.36 t ha 1 ) was produced from BWMRI Gom-1. The highest grain yield (4.76 t ha-1) was obtained from the interaction of BWMRI Gom-1 with Silicon dioxide @60 kg ha-1. Finally, the research study concluded that using of BWMRI Gom-1 with the application of Silicon dioxide @60 kg ha-1 can be used effectively with lowest leaf blight disease infestation with better yield.