Bakanae

[Pronunciation is like "ba-ka-na-eh", not "ba-ka-nay". The latter would be "baka neh?", meaning, rudely, "aren't you stupid?"] or bakanae disease(馬鹿苗病, バカナエビョウ, Bakanae-byo), from the Japanese for "foolish seedling", is a disease that infects the rice plant. It is caused by the fungus "Gibberella fujikuroi", whose metabolism produces a surplus of gibberellic acid, which acts as a growth hormone for the plant; this causes hypertrophy. The afflicted plants, which are visibly etiolated and chlorotic, are at best infertile with empty panicles, producing no edible grains; at worst, they are incapable of supporting their own weight, topple over, and die (hence "foolish seedling disease").

The earliest known report of bakanae is from 1828; it was first described scientifically in 1898 by Japanese researcher Shotaro Hori, who showed that the causative agent was fungal. [ [http://www.plant-hormones.info/gibberellinhistory.htm A Short History of Gibberellins] at Plant-Hormones.info] .

Bakanae affects rice crops in Asia, Africa, and North America; in 2003, the International Rice Research Institute estimated bakanae-related crop losses at between 20% and 50% [ [http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/riceDoctor_MX/Fact_Sheets/Diseases/Bakanae.htm Bakanae fact sheet] at RiceDoctor] .

References

External links

* [http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110002756879/en/ The "Bakanae" Disease]