Wheat BlastIdentification & Treatment Guide 2026
Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum (MoT) · Family: Magnaporthaceae
Wheat blast (Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum) causes sudden head bleaching, destroying 40-100% of grain. Emerged in Brazil (1985), reached Bangladesh (2016), and threatens South Asia. Few resistant varieties exist. Manage with 2NS translocation varieties, mancozeb + tricyclazole at heading, crop rotation, and avoiding late sowing during warm wet weather.
Scan This Plant NowQuick Diagnosis
criticalWheat Blast
- Affects
- headsleavesstemsseeds
- Peak Season
- Heading to grain fill during warm (25-30°C) wet weather; 24+ hours of head wetness triggers epidemics
- Spread Risk
- Fast
- Spread By
- Airborne conidia, wind-driven rain, infected seed, crop debris
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Symptoms: What does Wheat Blast look like?
Visual identification guide — tap each stage for details
Diamond-shaped leaf spots (often overlooked)
Diamond or elliptical gray-centered spots with brown margins appear on leaves, similar to rice blast. Leaf symptoms alone rarely cause significant damage.
Partial or complete spike bleaching
The most devastating symptom: partial or complete bleaching (whitening) of the wheat head above the point of infection on the rachis. The bleached portion produces no viable grain. A dark lesion is visible at the infection node on the rachis.
Shriveled grain and total head loss
Grains above the infection point are completely shriveled and empty. If infection occurs at the base of the head, the entire spike is destroyed. Grain contaminated with the pathogen shows poor germination and serves as seed-borne inoculum.
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