Introduction to Leaf Scald

History

Leaf scald was first described in Japan in 1955. It has been reported as leaf tip drying disease, leaf tip leaf blight, brown leaf blight, and leaf sheath browning.

Distribution and Occurrence

Leaf scald, which develops in all rice ecosystems, has become a common disease of rice in the southern United States, Latin America (Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador), Asia (Bangladesh, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, and Thailand), and West Africa (Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Liberia) in recent years.