The blast pathogen, Pyricularia oryzae Sacc., is a significant threat to cereal cultivation worldwide. Rice blast, caused by this pathogen, is among the top ten most destructive fungal diseases, reducing global rice harvests by up to 30%. Various species and strains of the Pyricularia genus infect over 50 crop and wild plant species.

In Sri Lanka, the blast pathogen infects major cereal crops, including rice and finger millet. This collection comprises Pyricularia strains isolated during an island-wide study, with samples collected from different climate zones and cereal hosts.