Causative agent: Fusarium moniliforme (Sexual stage: Gibberella fugikuroi).

• Seedborne fungal disease.

Symptoms:

• Infected seedlings have lesions on roots, and can die before transplanting or immediately after.
• Infected plants are several inches taller than normal plants. They are also thin, with yellowish green and pale green leaves.
• Check for white powdery growth at the base or on the lower portion of the infected plants.
• Check for roots growing from above-ground nodes on the stem.
• Early infection can cause seedlings to die at early tillering stage. Later infection results in plants that develop few tillers and have dry leaves. If the plants survive to maturity stage, they develop partially filled grains, sterile, or empty grains.