26Bakanae disease is a fungal disease of rice (Oryza sativa L.) caused by the pathogen Gibberella 27 fujikuroi (also known as Fusarium fujikuroi). Recently the disease incidence has increased in several 28 Asian countries and continues to spread throughout the world. No rice varieties have been developed 29 yet to be completely resistant to this disease. With increasing need to identify various genetic 30 resources to impart resistance to local elite varieties, this study was carried out to identify novel 31 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) from an indica variety Zenith. We performed a QTL mapping using 180 32 F 2:9 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between the resistant variety, Zenith, and 33 the susceptible variety, Ilpum. A primary QTL study using the genotypes and phenotypes of the RILs 34 indicated that the locus qBK1 z conferring bakanae disease resistance from the Zenith was located in a 35 2.8 Mb region bordered by the two SSR markers, RM1331 and RM3530 on chromosome 1.
36The log of odds (LOD) score of qBK1 z was 13.43, accounting for 30.9% of the total phenotypic 37 variation. A finer localization of qBK1 z was delimited at an approximate 730 kb interval in the 38 physical map between Chr01_1435908 (1.43 Mbp) and RM10116 (2.16 Mbp). The development of a 39 rice variety with a higher level of resistance against bakanae disease is a major challenge in many rice 40 growing countries. Introducing qBK1 z or pyramiding with other previously identified QTLs could 41 provide effective genetic control of bakanae disease in rice. 42 43 G. fujikuroi species complex have been associated with Bakanae disease in rice [3]. This disease 49 typically seed-borne fungus, but may occur when the pathogen is present in plant material or soil. 50 Infected seeds/plants result in secondary infections [4], which spreads through wind or water that 51 carries the fungal spores from one plant to another. Bakanae disease has different symptoms starting 52 from pre-emergence seedling death to grain infection at maturity such as tall, lanky tillers with pale 53 green flag leaves. Infected plants have fewer tillers, and plants surviving till maturity bear only empty 54 panicles [5], resulting in yield loss [6, 7]. Low plant survival and high spikelet sterility [5] may 55account for yield losses up to 50% in Japan [6, 7], 3.0-95% in India [2, 8, 9], 40% in Nepal [10], 75% in Iran [12], and to 28.8% in 57 Korea [13]. Hot water immersion and fungicide treatment are most common ways for seed 3 58 disinfection [2, 14, 15]. However, both the hot water treatment and application of fungicide are 59 insufficient to control bakanae disease. Thermal effect does not reach the pericarp of the severely 60 infected rice seeds. The application of fungicides is not functioning well for destroying the spores of 61 this fungal pathogen, and some pathogen showed resistance to the fungicides [13,[16][17][18]. Therefore, 62