> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://badixth-dc85e378.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Diagnose and Respond to Bakanae in Rice

> Identify bakanae from abnormally tall, pale, thin seedlings in the nursery and early field, and control it with seed treatment and clean seed sources.

Bakanae ("foolish seedling") disease, caused by *Fusarium fujikuroi*, is seed-borne. Infected seedlings grow abnormally tall and thin due to gibberellin produced by the fungus. Most die before heading; survivors produce empty or partially filled panicles. It is a major problem in direct-seeded systems and where seed is saved without treatment.

## When rice is most vulnerable

Seedling and early tillering. Once infection is established through the seed, in-season control options are very limited.

## How bakanae shows in satellite data

* **Uneven early establishment** with taller-than-normal plants scattered across the field - visible as increased canopy roughness rather than an NDVI drop.
* Affected plants eventually die and thin the stand, dropping NDVI in the affected zones by mid-season.
* **No reliable early satellite detection**; nursery inspection is the primary control point.

<Warning>
  Bakanae is best caught in the nursery, before transplanting. Once symptomatic plants are transplanted, in-field control is not effective - focus on next season's seed.
</Warning>

## Field symptoms

* Seedlings and young plants are abnormally tall, pale, and thin, standing out above the rest of the crop
* Yellow-green, chlorotic leaves that dry and die from the tip
* Fewer tillers than healthy neighbors
* Adventitious roots on lower nodes
* Most affected plants die before heading; survivors produce empty or sterile panicles

## Reduce the damage by

* **Use clean, treated seed** - the primary control. Hot water treatment (54 C for 10 minutes) or fungicide seed treatment (carbendazim, tebuconazole, or thiram) breaks the primary cycle.
* **Do not save seed** from infected fields.
* **Discard tall, off-color seedlings in the nursery** before transplanting.
* **Grow moderately resistant cultivars** where the disease is chronic.
* **Sanitation** - remove and burn infected plants and residues; the fungus survives on crop residues.

## Set an alert for early warning

<Tip>
  Turn the diagnosis into a trigger. Bakanae control is a *seed-treatment reminder*, not an alert to fire when NDVI drops.
</Tip>

Recommended settings for bakanae on rice:

* **Calendar reminder** - schedule a pre-sowing seed-treatment task; do not rely on imagery to catch this disease in time.
* **Nursery-stage inspection alert** - a field-note reminder to inspect seedlings 10 days before transplanting.

## Related

* [Rice Diagnosis](/guides/Crop/Rice/rice-abiotic-stress)
* [Set up automated crop alerts](/guides/alerts-notifications)