Study on the Reaction of Aeluropus littoralis Parl. to Rice Important Pathogenic Fungi inMazandaran Province

Aeluropus littoralis belong to poaceae family. It often grows in salty soils. In thisstudy reaction of A. littoralis to rice pathogens (Pyricularia grisea, Rhizoctonia solaniand Bipolaris oryzae) was investigated at greenhouse and field conditions underartificial inoculation. These three mentioned fungi were isolated from rice plants andthen propagated and separately inoculated on Aeluropus plants. The results indicatedthat R. solani and P. grisea could infect the A. littoralis and showed the typicalsymptoms on this plants. This is the first report of these fungi that infect the A. littoralisplant in northern Iran. But B. oryzae could not infect the A. littoralis, and was notshowed brown spot symptoms on plants at greenhouse and field conditions. Aeluropuscan be an alternative host for the blast and sheath blight of the rice. Therefore,eradication of this weed can reduce the inoculum sources of the two important ricepathogens. Also it can be source of resistance to rice brown spot disease. Beside, thepossibility of existence of other tentative methods for considering this disease must bestudied and researched in the future.