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Identification of bacterial leaf blight resistance genes in diverse local Pakistani rice (Oryza sativa) germplasm
Abstract
Rice (Oryza sativa) is the most widely consumed staple foods worldwide, and Pakistan is an important rice-producing and exporting country. Among the various biotic and abiotic factors affecting rice yield, Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae (Xoo), is considered a major threat to rice production. Developing rice varieties with inherent genetic resistance is an economical and eco-friendly approach to managing the disease. Therefore, the current study is conducted to identify and characterize locally collected rice germplasm for BLB resistance. A total of 23 rice genotypes were collected from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Punjab regions and analyzed for the presence of the resistance genes Xa5 and Xa7. The extracted DNA was further subjected to PCR amplification using gene-linked primers. The results revealed that Xa5 and Xa7 genes were present in all genotypes except UD-205 and UD-201. UD-205 lacked Xa5 but had Xa7 gene whereas UD-201 possessed Xa5 but lacked the Xa7 gene. Genetic similarity analysis based on the presence of these genes, divided the local germplasms into three main clusters showing genetic diversity in rice germplasm. Further dendrogram analysis revealed strong genetic relationships among rice germplasms. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic diversity of BLB resistance in local rice germplasm and contributes to the development of more resistant and climate-resilient rice cultivars, thereby contributing to sustainable rice production.
