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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #274596
Title: Severe outbreak of bacterial panicle blight across Texas Rice Belt in 2010

Author
item ZHOU, X - Texas Agrilife Research
item McClung, Anna
item WAY, M - Texas Agrilife Research
item JO, Y.-K. - Texas A&M University
item TABIEN, R - Texas Agrilife Research
item WILSON, L - Texas Agrilife Research

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/20/2011
Publication Date: 8/6/2011
Citation: Zhou, X.G., Mcclung, A.M., Way, M.O., Jo, Y., Tabien, R.E., Wilson, L.T. 2011. Severe outbreak of bacterial panicle blight across Texas Rice Belt in 2010 [abstract]. Phytopathology. 101:S205.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bacterial panicle blight symptoms have been observed in rice fields in Texas for many years, but it was not until 1996 that Burkholderia glumae was identified as the causal agent. Although it is generally considered a minor disease, there have been years where significant losses to yield and milling quality have occurred. In 2010, a severe outbreak of this disease occurred throughout the Texas Rice Belt. The disease caused partially filled or aborted grains, resulting in an estimated 10 to 20% yield loss and reduced milling quality. The disease was most severe in the cultivars CL111, CL 261, Cocodrie, and Francis, but was relatively less severe in CL151, Jupiter, Neptune, Presidio, and hybrid XL723. The disease also was present in the ratoon (second) crop but caused no serious damage. B. glumae was consistently isolated from the symptomatic panicle samples collected from across the Texas Rice Belt. Of 47 isolates of B. glumae collected, 10 were selected for pathogenicity assays and all were shown to be pathogenic. Two of the pathogenic isolates, one from the main crop and the other from the ratoon crop, were further verified to be B. glumae using PCR. This is the first report of bacterial panicle blight of rice in the ratoon crop in the United States resulting from an epidemic outbreak of this disease in Texas. This disease poses a threat to rice production since there are no chemicals or highly resistant cultivars currently available for management of this disease.