Current Pathology Objectives

1. Development of set of near-isogenic rice lines in a 'Maybelle' background to differentiate among U.S. pathotypes of the rice blast pathogen (Pyricularia grisea)
2. Correlation of rice sheath blight (SB) (Rhizoctonia solani) symptoms with yield reduction and detection of improved SB resistance in potential parent material and breeding lines.
3. Population dynamics of P. grisea pathotypes in the southern U.S. and California with the deployment of novel sources of race-specific resistance in new rice cultivars.
4. Determination of genetic factors conveying resistance to P. grisea and identification of germplasm having improved resistance.