I got a question the other day about the issue of elongated upper internode (EUI). The EUI is a genetic defect where the internode right below the panicle gets unusually long, making the panicle stick up above the canopy. The incidence of this defect varies with year, but it does not have a negative effect on yield. It can be confused with a bakanae infected plant. If it is bakanae, the whole plant is elongated, and the flag leaf can be seen above the rest of the canopy. Panicles from these bakanae infected plants will not fill. At this point, bakanae is not resulting in yield reductions, but it is worrisome that we continue to see the disease become more common every year.
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Elongated upper internode (left) and bakanae infected plant (right)