BIOLOGY OF Rhizoctonia oryzae-sativae CAUSAL AGENT OF RICE AGGREGATE SHEATH SPOT DISEASE IN GUILAN PROVINCE *

Rice aggregate sheath spot disease is caused by Rhizoctonia oryzae-sativae (Sawada) and occurs more or less at all paddy fields in Guilan province. In this study some aspects of biology of Rhizoctonia oryzae-sativae and optimal growth temperatures were examined. Rice straw colonized with mycelia and sclerotia of Rhizoctonia oryzae-sativae were incubated in different field conditions such as natural field soil surface, 5 cm deep under the soil, flooding condition, on soil surface at the borders of the field. The effects of variable conditions on viability of fungus were studied. Moreover, the effects of different temperatures (5, 0, -5, -10, -15, -20 and -72) on germination and viability of sclerotia were assessed during one month. Optimum growth rate was found to take place at 32 ºC. Results showed that R. oryzae-sativae overwinters as mycelia on the rice straw on the soil surface in the field, soil surface at field margins and as sclerotia in the soil. According to the results 30.4% of sclerotia were able to germinate after one month storage at minus 72 ºC.