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INCIDENCE OF BACTERIAL BLIGHT OF RICE IN PAKISTAN DURING 2002

MUHAMMAD AFZAL AKHTAR, MUHAMMAD ZAKRIA, FIDA MUHAMMAD ABBASI¹ AND M ASIF MASOOD²

Abstract: Bacterial blight (BB) of rice incited by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae created a serious situation in rice during the crop year 2002. It occurs at all stages of the crop and shows either kresek or leaf blight symptoms. If plant produces panicles, the sterility percentage increases as well as the number of immature grains. Grains from diseased plants are easily broken during milling. When there is heavy infection, no grain formation takes place. This survey was conducted during the crop year 2002 in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, NWFP and Azad Jammu & Kashmir to study the latest situation of this menace. In Punjab the incidence (% of infected plants) of bacterial blight ranges from 15-100, 10-70, 10-90, 15-65, 0-50, 0-100, 30-80, 45, 50-70 and 40-50 in Sargodha, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Lahore, Kasur and Okara respectively and severity ( % of infected tissue/area expressed on 0-9 scale) ranges form 1-7, 1-5, 1-5, 1-3, 0-5, 0-9, 3,3,3, 3-5 in Sargodha, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Lahore, Kasur and Okara respectively. In Sindh the incidence (%) was 0, 0-5, 5, 0, 5, 0-5, 0-5 in Larkana, Shikarpur, Dadu, Nawab Shah, Thatta, Badin and Jacob Abad respectively and severity was 0, 0-1, 1, 0, 1, 0-1and 1 in Larkana, Shikarpur, Dadu, Nawab Shah, Thatta, Badin and Jacob Abad respectively. In NWFP the incidence (%) range was 0-95, 0-100 and 0 in Lower Dir, Swat and Malakand Agency respectively whereas severity ranged from 0-5, 0-7 and 0 in Lower Dir, Swat and Malakand Agency respectively. In Balochistan the incidence (%) range was 0 and 0-5 in Nasirabad and Usta Muhammad respectively, whereas severity ranged from 0 and 0-1 in Nasirabad and Usta Muhammad respectively, while in Azad Jammu & Kashmir no disease was observed. The causal agent of bacterial blight of rice was confirmed through biochemical, physiological, hypersensitive reaction and pathogenicity.

Crop Diseases Research Programme, Institute of Plant and Environmental Protection, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad.
Rice Programme, Institute of Field and Horticultural Crops, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad.
Social Sciences Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad.