Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important staple crops for a large part of the world’s population, mainly in East, Southeast and South Asia (FAO, 2010). Losses due to diseases and pests are one of the major constraints in rice production. Sheath blight of rice is a destructive disease in all crop-growing areas of the world. The disease is caused by a soil-borne fungal pathogen, Rhizoctonia solani Kühn (Teleomorph: Thanatephorus cucumeris (A.B. Frank) Donk) anastomosis group 1 subgroup 1A. The pathogen survives as mycelia or resistant structures known as sclerotia in plant debris and on weeds in rice growing areas (Zachow et al., 2011). High genetic resistance is not available for sheath blight and the disease is currently managed through use of fungicides (Savary et al., 2012)