An Overview of Bacterial Leaf Blight Disease of Rice and Different Strategies for its Management
Sumit Shekhar, Diksha Sinha, Anita Kumari
Abstract
Rice crop accounts for nearly a third of the total area under food grains in India and is the staple food for a significant portion of the world’s population. Widely varying factors influence the growth of rice in different rice growing areas and render the crop susceptible to various pathogenic and non-pathogenic diseases, resulting in extensive damage of grain and straw yield. Bacterial leaf blight disease of rice caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is a serious menace to rice production in India, besides other rice producing countries. Elaborate studies have been conducted on the genetics of host-pathogen interaction of BLB and exploitation of host resistance to combat the disease. This article comprehensively reviews the etiology, symptomatology, pathogen biology, disease development, disease cycle, epidemics and epidemiology, geographical distribution and strategies for the disease management viz., exploitation of host plant resistance, cultural, physical, chemical and biological control.