Stem rot of rice in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area of New South Wales

An outbreak of stem rot of rice caused by the fungus Magnaporthe salvinii was reported from the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area of New South Wales (MIA). Where found in other countries, stem rot can cause lodging and yield loss. No yield loss was associated with this outbreak in the MIA. A survey of 125 farms revealed that the disease was present on 28 farms, all confined to the eastern part of the MIA.