Bakanae (バカナエ) (pronounced "ba-ka-na-eh", not "ba-ka-nay".) or bakanae disease(馬鹿苗病, バカナエビョウ, Bakanae-byo), from the Japanese for "foolish seedling", is a disease that infects the rice plant. It is caused by the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi, the metabolism of which produces a surplus of gibberellic acid. In the plant, this acts as a growth hormone, causing hypertrophy. The afflicted plants, which are visibly etiolated and chlorotic, are at best infertile with empty panicles, producing no edible grains; at worst, they are incapable of supporting their own weight, topple over, and die (hence "foolish seedling disease").
The earliest known report of bakanae is from 1828; it was first described scientifically in 1898 by Japanese researcher Shotaro Hori, who showed that the causative agent was fungal.[1]
Thie fungus affects rice crops in Asia, Africa, and North America. In 2003, the International Rice Research Institute estimated bakanae-related crop losses at between 20% and 50% in Japan alone.[2]