Author(s)

Halima Qudsia, Ayesha Bibi, Awais Riaz, Zulqarnain Haider^*, Rana Ahsan Raza Khan, Muhammad Akhter, Muhammad Sabar

Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, Punjab, Pakistan.

Rice is food for more than half of the world population and the most consumable cereal in most of the countries. Pakistan is the fifth largest exporter of rice. However, Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae is the most devastating and serious threat to rice production in many countries of the world including Pakistan. To combat this disease, innate genetic resistance of the plant plays vital role along with being environmentally friendly and economical. In this study, thirty-one (31) Near Isogenic Lines (NILs) having Xa4, xa5, Xa7, xa13 and Xa21 reported BLB tolerant genes and 34 locally developed rice lines were investigated under natural field conditions at three agro-ecologically different locations with highest disease occurrence records (BLB hotspots) viz., Sheikhupura, Hafizabad and Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan in order to assess their respective genetic resistance and G × E interactions against the disease. Thirty-one (31) lines were categorized under resistant cluster, twenty-eight (28) were moderately resistant, six (6) were moderately susceptible and one (susceptible check) was in susceptible category. Grouping of different lines/varieties under same cluster shows their significantly similar response against BLB disease in corresponding environment. Among the studied NILs, only one line showed polymorphism for all five resistant genes, two lines had four; seven lines had three genes, seven lines showed di-genic while five lines showed mono-genic polymorphism. These resistant lines with multiple-genes for BLB resistance can be evolved as a new BLB resistant variety and also be utilized as donor parent in breeding programs for developing new cultivars with horizontal resistance against more than one target pathotypes and environments. Xa4 and xa13 were found to deliver significant resistance against the local pathotypes in studied germplasm and NILs.

Rice, Oryza sativa L., Genotypic Environment Interaction, Bacterial Leaf Blight, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Qudsia, H. , Bibi, A. , Riaz, A. , Haider, Z. , Raza Khan, R. , Akhter, M. and Sabar, M. (2019) G × E Analysis of Rice Germplasm and NILs Having Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) Resistant Genes against Local Isolates of Xanthomonas oryzae at Diverse Agro-Ecological Zones. Advances in Microbiology, 9, 454-466. doi: 10.4236/aim.2019.95027.