Poster88: Rice panicle blight, A new challenge for Latin America Rice Groweres

Rice panicle blight caused by Burkholderia glumae is a new challenge for Latin American rice growers. The disease causes sterile panicles, reducing yields by up to 80% in some regions. The pathogen was first reported in Latin America in 1989 but has become a more significant problem recently due to environmental conditions and susceptible cultivars. The research group used Koch's postulates to confirm B. glumae as the causal agent. They developed a scale to evaluate disease tolerance in seedlings as a first step to identifying more tolerant varieties. Screening Latin American cultivars identified variation in responses that could be used in breeding programs to develop more resistant varieties and manage the disease threat.