Rhizoctonia solani causing sheath blight of rice is reported to survive through soil and collateral hosts. Although it infects seed in field, role of seed-borne inoculum in disease development is not properly understood. However, only little information is available on the role of seed-borne inoculum in disease development in the field (Roy, 1989; Acharya and Gupta, 1996; Silvalingam et al., 2006). During the present investigation seed samples of two varieties were collected from healthy seeds (. seeds harvested from healthy plant panicles) and diseased seeds (. seeds harvested from plant panicles with 7 to 9 disease score of sheath blight) and were sown both under green house (pots) and field conditions. The seedling growth assessed in terms of seedling vigour index at 21 days and 30 days after sowing. The germination percent, root and shoot length of individual seedlings also be measured. | Impact of sheath blight disease of paddy on seedlings and plant vigor
