The first symptoms appeared on the leaves. Elliptical brown spots were observed. The spots increased in size on leaves. Gradually the colour of the spots changed to brownish black. The length of spots ranged from 0.2 to1cm (Figure 1). Later the spots appeared on leaf sheath which were dark brown initially with yellow margin and the diseased sheath became yellow and blighted. Initially these spots were similar to the ones on the leaf but later covered the whole leaf sheath (Figure 2). Gradually the disease spread to the kernels. Glumes were discoloured and in severe infection, the rice kernel showed black discoloration (Figure 3).