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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #429446
Research Project: Broadening and Strengthening the Genetic Base of Rice for Adaptation to a Changing Climate, Crop Production Systems, and Markets

Location: Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center

Title: First report of rice bacterial leaf blight caused by Pantoea ananatis in Texas, USA

Author
item KHANAL, SABIN - Texas A&M Agrilife
item ZHOU, XIN-GEN - Texas A&M Agrilife
item Jia, Yulin

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2026
Publication Date: 6/22/2026
Citation: Khanal, S., Zhou, X., Jia, Y. 2026. First report of rice bacterial leaf blight caused by Pantoea ananatis in Texas, USA. Plant Disease. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-26-0764-PDN.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-26-0764-PDN

Interpretive Summary: Bacterial leaf blight caused by Pantoea ananatis is an emerging disease on rice in the USA and a few other countries. This pathogen has now been identified for the first time in commercial rice fields in Texas. During 2024 disease surveys, rice plants in Jefferson County, Texas, displayed leaf blight-like symptoms. Symptomatic leaves were collected, and bacterial isolates were obtained. DNA extracted from these isolates was analyzed using species-specific primers, confirming the presence of P. ananatis. Pathogenicity was further validated through inoculation trials in a controlled growth chamber. This study documents the first report of P. ananatis causing bacterial leaf blight in commercial rice fields in the U.S.

Technical Abstract: Bacterial leaf blight-like symptoms were observed in non-continuous spots in 304 hectares of commercial rice (Oryza sativa) field in Jeferson County, Texas, in August 2024. About 5% of plants exhibited symptoms, characterized by blight-like symptoms with chlorosis starting from the tips of the leaves and spreading throughout the whole leaves. Symptomatic leaves were collected, cut into 1 cm- 2cm size, and soaked in sterile distilled water for 30s. The resulting suspension was plated onto nutrient agar and incubated at 28°C. After 48 h, uniform, round, yellow-colored bacterial colonies developed. Bacterial isolates were subjected to 16S rRNA PCR-amplification and subsequent sequencing. Sequencing revealed seven bacterial isolates belonging to Panotea genus. These isolates were then tested with P. ananatis-specific primers. Pathogenicity of both isolates was examined on the two rice cultivars CLL11 and CLL16. At 7 days post inoculation, symptoms previously described as bacterial leaf blight were observed in leaves inoculated with both isolates. Bacteria were recovered from the artificially inoculated rice leaves and confirmed as P. ananatis based on morphology characteristics and PCR amplification using the P. ananatis specific primers PANA_1080 61F and PANA_1080 1009R. To our knowledge, this study represents the first report of bacterial blight caused by P. ananatis in Texas and first documentation of this disease in commercial rice fields in the US.