Resistance to Planthoppers and Southern Rice Black-Streaked Dwarf Virus in Rice Germplasms

Abstract

The damage caused by white-back planthopper (WBPH, Sogatella furcifera) and brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens), as well as southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV), considerably decreases grain yield of rice. Identification of rice germplasms with sufficient resistance to planthoppers and SRBSDV is essential to the breeding and deployment of resistant varieties and hence the control of the pests and disease. In this study, 318 rice accessions were evaluated for their reactions to the infestation of both BPH and WBPH at the seedling stage using the standard seed-box screening test (SSST) method, insect quantification was further conducted at the end of tillering and grain-filling stages in field trials. Accessions HN12-239 and HN12-328 were resistant to both BPH and WBPH at all tested stages. Field trials were conducted to identify resistance in the collection to SRBSDV based on the virus infection rate under artificial inoculation. RHT and HN12-239 were moderately resistant to SRBSDV. In addition, we found that WBPH did not penetrate stems with stylets, but did more probing bouts and then xylem sap ingestion when feeding on HN12-239 than the susceptible control rice TN1. The resistance of rice accessions HN12-239, HN12-328 and RHT to BPH, WBPH and/or SRBSDV, should be valuable to the development of resistant rice varieties.