Variability in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, the incitant of bacterial blight disease of rice

Abstract

The virulence pattern of 52 bacterial strains of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, the causal organism of bacterial blight disease of rice was assessed on 41 rice genotypes including five Japanese and five Philippines' differentials. A significant differential interaction observed among the bacterial isolates, the host-genotypes and in their interaction suggested that the host-genotypes differed in vertical resistance and bacterial isolates differed in virulence. The two Japanese differentials Kinmaze and Rantai Emas and two Philippines' differentials IR 8 and IR 20, exhibited highly susceptible reactions against all the 52 bacterial isolates. Five new Indian differentials were selected, one from each of the five clusters of genotypes obtained through hierarchical method of numerical analysis of the virulence pattern of 52 bacterial isolates on 41 host-genotypes. The 52 bacterial isolates could be grouped into six clusters on the basis of their pathogenicity pattern on five new Indian differentials, which were designated as Pathotype-1,4,7,14,15 and 16, following a standard computer generated virulence pattern chart. These pathotypes were comparable with the Japanese pathotype groups of I, II, III and IV and Philippines' pathotype groups of I, II, III, IV and V. The most virulent pathotype-1 was distributed over four eastern states of India, namely Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and Bihar. In view of the free exchange of genetic material all over the country, continuous monitoring of the prevalence of new pathotypes with the help of the present set of differentials, will ac-cars.