Outbreak of Rice Blast Disease at Yeoju of Korea in 2020.

Rice blast is the most destructive disease threatening stable rice production in rice-growing areas. Cultivation of disease-resistant rice cultivars is the most effective way to control rice blast disease. However, the rice blast resistance is easy to breakdown within years by blast fungus that continually changes to adapt to new cultivars. Therefore, it is important to continuously monitor the incidence of rice blast disease and race differentiation of rice blast fungus in fields. In 2020, a severe rice blast disease occurred nationwide in Korea. We evaluated the incidence of rice blast disease in Yeoju and compared the weather conditions at the periods of rice blast disease in 2019 and 2020. We investigated the races and avirulence genes of rice blast isolates in Yeoju to identify race diversity and genetic characteristics of the isolates. This study will provide empirical support for rice blast control and the breeding of blast-resistant rice cultivars.

Comparative Pathogenicity and Host Ranges of Magnaporthe oryzae and Related Species.

Host shifting and host expansion of fungal plant pathogens increases the rate of emergence of new pathogens and the incidence of disease in various crops, which threaten global food security. Magnaporthe species cause serious disease in rice, namely rice blast disease, as well as in many alternative hosts, including wheat, barley, and millet. A severe outbreak of wheat blast due to Magnaporthe oryzae occurred recently in Bangladesh, after the fungus was introduced from South America, causing great loss of yield. This outbreak of wheat blast is of growing concern, because it might spread to adjacent wheat-producing areas. Therefore, it is important to understand the host range and population structure of M. oryzae and related species for determining the evolutionary relationships among Magnaporthe species and for managing blast disease in the field. Here, we collected isolates of M. oryzae and related species from various Poaceae species, including crops and weeds surrounding rice fields, in Korea and determined their phylogenetic relationships and host species specificity. Internal transcribed spacer-mediated phylogenetic analysis revealed that M. oryzae and related species are classified into four groups primarily including isolates from rice, crabgrass, millet and tall fescue. Based on pathogenicity assays, M. oryzae and related species can infect different Poaceae hosts and move among hosts, suggesting the potential for host shifting and host expansion in nature. These results provide important information on the diversification of M. oryzae and related species with a broad range of Poaceae as hosts in crop fields.

Timing of Fusarium Head Blight Infection in Rice by Heading Stage.

Fusarium graminearum causes the devastating plant disease Fusarium head blight and produces mycotoxins on small cultivated grains. To investigate the timeframe of F. graminearum infection during rice cultivation, a spore suspension of F. graminearum was applied to the rice cultivars Dongjin 1 and Nampyeongbyeo before and after the heading stage. The disease incidence rate was the highest (50%) directly after heading, when the greatest number of flowers were present, while only 10% of the rice infected 30 days after heading showed symptoms. To understand the mechanism of infection, an F. graminearum strain expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) was inoculated, and the resulting infections were visually examined. Spores were found in all areas between the glume and inner seed, with the largest amount of GFP detected in the aleurone layer. When the inner part of the rice seed was infected, the pathogen was mainly observed in the embryo. These results suggest that F. graminearum migrates from the anthers to the ovaries and into the seeds during the flowering stage of rice. This study will contribute to uncovering the infection process of this pathogen in rice.

Simple Detection of Cochliobolus Fungal Pathogens in Maize.

Northern corn leaf spot and southern corn leaf blight caused by Cochliobolus carbonum (anamorph, Bipolaris zeicola) and Cochliobolus heterostrophus (anamorph, Bipolaris maydis), respectively, are common maize diseases in Korea. Accurate detection of plant pathogens is necessary for effective disease management. Based on the polyketide synthase gene (PKS) of Cochliobolus carbonum and the nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene (NRPS) of Cochliobolus heterostrophus, primer pairs were designed for PCR to simultaneously detect the two fungal pathogens and were specific and sensitive enough to be used for duplex PCR analysis. This duplex PCR-based method was found to be effective for diagnosing simultaneous infections from the two Cochliobolus species that display similar morphological and mycological characteristics. With this method, it is possible to prevent infections in maize by detecting infected seeds or maize and discarding them. Besides saving time and effort, early diagnosis can help to prevent infections, establish comprehensive management systems, and secure healthy seeds.

Simultaneous Detection of Three Bacterial Seed-Borne Diseases in Rice Using Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction.

Burkholderia glumae (bacterial grain rot), Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (bacterial leaf blight), and Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (bacterial brown stripe) are major seedborne pathogens of rice. Based on the 16S and 23S rDNA sequences for A. avenae subsp. avenae and B. glumae, and transposase A gene sequence for X. oryzae pv. oryzae, three sets of primers had been designed to produce 402 bp for B. glumae, 490 bp for X. oryzae, and 290 bp for A. avenae subsp. avenae with the 63°C as an optimum annealing temperature. Samples collected from naturally infected fields were detected with two bacteria, B. glumae and A. avenae subsp. avenae but X. oryzae pv. oryzae was not detected. This assay can be used to identify pathogens directly from infected seeds, and will be an effective tool for the identification of the three pathogens in rice plants.