Sustainable Strategies for Managing Bacterial Panicle Blight in Rice

Abstract

Bacterial panicle blight (BPB) is present in more than 18 countries and has become a global disease in rice. BPB is highly destructive and can cause significant losses of up to 75% in yield and milling quality. BPB is caused by Burkholderia glumae or B. gladioli, with the former being the primary cause of the disease. Outbreaks of BPB are triggered by conditions of high temperatures in combination with high relative humidity at heading. The disease cycle starts with primary infections from infected seed, soil, and irrigation water, and subsequent secondary infections result from rain splash and panicle contact. Limited management options are available for control of BPB. There are only several cultivars including hybrids with partial resistance available currently. Twelve quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with the partial resistance have been identified. Oxolinic acid is an effective antibacterial compound for control of BPB in Japan, but it is not labeled for use on rice in the USA and many other countries. Sustainable control of BPB relies on integrated use of available management strategies of exclusion, genetic resistance, chemical control, biocontrol, and cultural practice. Developing and use of resistant cultivars is the best strategy to minimize the damage caused by BPB and maximize rice production in the long term.

Research Article Identification of bacterial leaf blight resistance genes in Malaysian local rice varieties

“…Advances in DNA marker technology have sped up the identification of resistant cultivars carrying resistance gene(s) (Nor'Aishah et al, 2013). Till now, about 34 genes (23 dominants and 16 recessive genes) conferring resistance to bacterial leaf blight have been identified (Zhou, 2019). By using DNA markers, numerous commercial rice varieties have been introgressed with race-specific resistance genes including xa4, xa5, xa7, xa13, and xa21 and improved their resistance against Xoo (Bharani et al, 2010).…”

Morpho-physiological characterization of bacterial grain rot in rice seed from Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi

“…The presence of yellow toxoflavin hue in B. glumae is a virulence agent that causes grain rot on rice. Some avirulent strains have been isolated from symptomatic rice grains [21,22]. However, these strains could not generate toxoflavin [10].…”

Genetic Characterization of the Partial Disease Resistance of Rice to Bacterial Panicle Blight and Sheath Blight by Combined QTL Linkage and QTL-seq Analyses

“…Only a limited number of cultivars with partial resistance are available and no chemical control measure is available in the U.S. Although oxolinic acid has been used for BPB control in other countries [ 22 ], this antibiotic is not labeled for use on rice in the U.S. [ 23 ]. Due to the absence of highly effective pesticides and increasing outbreaks of BPB, it is imperative to develop BPB-resistant cultivars [ 24 ].…”

“…Due to the absence of highly effective pesticides and increasing outbreaks of BPB, it is imperative to develop BPB-resistant cultivars [ 24 ]. In the U.S. alone, more than 200 elite breeding lines and cultivars were evaluated for BPB [ 23 ]. Results of multiple years of evaluations revealed that most of the U.S. rice cultivars are highly susceptible to BPB and there is no promising resistant line available yet [ 25 ].…”