Pest science and management

Varying patterns of blast (Magnaporthe oryzae B.

Couch) resistance in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
varieties in a water-saving production system
Y. Koide,1, 2 M. J. Telebanco-Yanoria,1 Y. Fukuta,2 and N. Kobayashi1, 2
1International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines
2Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki

305-8686, Japan

Key words: rice, blast disease, differential system, resistance gene, aerobic rice,
alternate wetting and drying

Blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae B. Couch, is one of the serious diseases of

rice. The susceptibility of rice to blast is increased by dry land conditions
(Bonman 1992). Therefore, in the tropics, blast is particularly severe in upland
and rainfed lowland environments that are prone to drought (Mackill and
Bonman 1992, Savary et al 2005). With the growing agricultural water scarcity,
there is increased emphasis on water-saving technologies such as alternate
wetting and drying (AWD) and use of aerobic rice, which reduce water use while
maintaining high yield. In such water-saving cropping systems, strong blast
epidemics might be favored inasmuch as rice crops grow under a water-scarce
environment, which may (1) provide a more conducive micro-environment for
disease development and (2) enhance the crop’s physiological susceptibility.
Durable resistance to blast should thus be one of the important objectives of rice
breeding for this system. However, studies on blast resistance in relation to
water-saving cropping technologies are scarce. To achieve durable blast
resistance, it is necessary to understand the resistance spectrum of rice varieties
to blast isolates and the variations in pathogenicity of these blast isolates in the
field. In this study, we examined the blast resistance of an aerobic rice variety
and of those varieties suitable for the AWD cropping system. In addition, we
assessed the pathogenicity of blast isolates from the aerobic rice field to achieve
durable use of blast resistance in a water-saving cropping system.
The reaction patterns of four IRRI-developed varieties (Apo, NSIC158,
PSBRc 80, and PSBRc 82) to rice blast isolates were studied. Apo has been used as
a tropical aerobic rice variety and the other three are considered suitable for the
AWD system in the Philippines.

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The IRRI-Japan Collaborative Research Project has released monogenic

lines containing 24 known blast resistance genes as differential varieties
(Tsunematsu et al 2000). Twenty blast isolates selected as standard differential
blast isolates by using the monogenic lines (Telebanco-Yanoria et al 2008) were
used for inoculation. In addition, five new blast isolates were collected and
isolated from an aerobic rice field in Central Luzon State University in the
Philippines. These isolates were used to examine the spectrum of pathogenicity
of the blast isolates from the aerobic rice field. Inoculation of blast isolate was
done following Bonman and Mackill (1988). Disease intensity on each seedling
was evaluated 6–7 d after inoculation. Each seedling was examined and rated
using a 0–5 scale according to the IRRI Standard evaluation system (IRRI 1996).
Scores of 0–2 were considered resistant (R); 3- and 3m as moderate (M); 3+ as
moderately susceptible (MS); and 4, 5, and 5+ as susceptible. The reaction was
classified as R-M when resistance varied from moderate to complete.
The reaction patterns of the four varieties to the 20 standard blast isolates
are shown in the table. Three varieties (Apo, NSIC158, and PSBRc 80) showed
susceptible or moderately susceptible reaction to several isolates. Apo showed
susceptible and moderately susceptible reaction to three and two standard blast
isolates, respectively. NSIC158 and PSBRc 80 showed moderately susceptible
reaction to one isolate. Only one variety, PSBRc 82, showed resistance to all 20
standard blast isolates. The results suggest that these varieties, except for PSBRc
82, are vulnerable to strong blast epidemics caused by some blast isolates in the
Philippines, though there have been few reports that these varieties have
suffered serious damage from rice blast.
On the other hand, all four varieties showed moderate or complete
resistance to blast isolates from the aerobic rice field (see table). The patterns of
virulence of blast isolates from the aerobic rice field to the monogenic lines were
different from those of standard blast isolates, showing that different kinds of
blast races exist in the aerobic rice field. Eight resistance genes (Pii, Pik-p, Piz, Piz-
5, Piz-t, Pita, Pi3, and Pi5) showed resistance to all five isolates from the aerobic
field. It is therefore important to use these resistance genes in aerobic rice
production system.

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Reaction patterns of varieties and monogenic lines to standard differential blast isolates and blast isolates from an aerobic rice field.
Variety or Resistance Standard differential blast isolatesa Blast isolates collected from the aerobic
monogenic gene rice field
line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 CLSU1- CLSU2- CLSU3- CLSU4- CLSU5-
1 3 2 3 3
Apo M S MS M R M MS R R R R R S R M M M S M M R R R R-M R
NSIC158 MS R R R R R R R R M R R M R R R R R-M R-M R R R R M R
PSBRc 80 MS R M R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
PSBRc 82 R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
IRBLa-A Pia S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S R R S S S S S
IRBLa-C Pia S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S R R S S S S S
IRBLi-F5 Pii S S S R-M M S S R R M S R R-M S S R S R-M S S R R R R R
IRBLks-F5 Pik-s S S S S S S R S S S S S S S S S S R S S S S S S S
IRBLks-S Pik-s S S S S S R R S M S S S S S S S S S S S MS R R R R
IRBLk-Ka Pik R R S R S R R R R S S S R R R S R R R R S S S S S
IRBLkp-K60 Pik-p R R S R S R R R R S S S R R R S R R R R R R R R R
IRBLkh-K3 Pik-h R R S R S R R R R S S S R R R S R R R R S S S S S
IRBLz-Fu Piz M R-M R-M M R-M M M M R-M M R-M M R M R R-M M M M M R R R R R
IRBLz5-CA Piz-5 R-M R R-M R-M M M M M R R-M R-M R M M S R R M M M R R R R R
IRBLzt-T Piz-t S S R S R S R S S S S S S S S S R S R R R R R R R
IRBLta-K1 Pita S R R R R-M R S S M S S M R S S R S R R-M M R R R R R
IRBLta-CT2 Pita S R R R R R S S S S S MS R S S R S R R MS R R R R R
IRBLb-B Pib S S S S S S R-M S S S S S S R-M R S R S R M S S S S S
IRBLt-K59 Pit S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S MS M M M MS
IRBLsh-S Pish M R-M M M M M M M R-M R-M R-M R-M R-M M M M R-M M R-M M R R R R R
IRBLsh-B Pish M M M MS MS M M M R-M M M M R-M M M R-M R-M M M M S S S S S
IRBL1-CL Pi1 R R S R S R R R R S S S R R R S R R R R S S S S S
IRBL3-CP4 Pi3 S S S M M S S R-M R R S R R S S R M R S S R R R R R
IRBL5-M Pi5(t) S S S R-M M S S R-M R R S R R S S R S R S S R R R R R
IRBL7-M Pi7(t) R R S R S R S R R S S S R R R S R R R R S S S S S
IRBL9-W Pi9 R R R R R-M R R R R R-M R R R R R R R R R R R R R R S
IRBL12-M Pi12(t) S S S S S S M S S S S S S R R S R M R R S R S S R
IRBL19-A Pi19 S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S R S R R S
IRBLkm-Ts Pik-m R R S R S R R R R S S S R R R S R R R R S S S S S
IRBL20-IR24 Pi20 S S S S S S R R S R R S S S S S S S R R S S S S R
IRBLta2-Pi Pita-2 S R R R R-M R R R S R R R S R R R R R R S S R R S R
IRBLta2-Re Pita-2 S R R R R-M R R R S R R R S R R R R R R S R R R S R
IRBLta-CP1 Pita S R-M R R M R S S S S S S M S S R S R M S S S S S S
IRBL11-Zh Pi11(t) S S S M S S R-M S S S M S S R R M R S R-M R-M S M S S MS
IRBLz5-
CA(R) Piz-5 R-M R R-M R-M R-M R-M M R R R-M R R M R-M S R-M R M M R-M R R M M S
aBlast
isolates: 1 = Ca89, 2 = Ca41, 3 = 43, 4 = IK81-2, 5 = M39-1-3-8-1, 6 = V850256, 7 = V86010, 8 = BN111, 9 = PO6-6, 10 = M39-1-2-21-2, 11 = M36-1-3-10-1, 12 = JMB8401, 13 = M64-1-3-9-1, 14
= V850196, 15 = M101-1-2-9-1, 16 = IK81-25, 17 = JMB840610, 18 = BN209, 19 = B90002, 20 = C923-49. R = resistant, M = moderate, MS = moderately susceptible, S = susceptible, R-M = resistant varied
from moderately to complete.

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In this study, we showed that some varieties suitable for water-saving

production systems are epidemiologically vulnerable to some blast isolates in the
Philippines, although they are resistant to blast isolates in the aerobic rice field
where other blast races are dominant. However, based on the reaction patterns
revealed in this study, management of blast resistance can be improved by
introducing several resistance genes (e.g., Pi9 for Apo, Pik, Pik-m, Pik-p, Pik-h, Pi1,
Pi7, Pi9, or Piz-t for NSIC158 and PSBRc 80) or by rotating varieties with different
resistance spectra to prevent the increase of a specific blast race. This information
on the variability in reaction patterns of the rice blast differential system will be
useful for developing durable resistance to rice blast in water-saving production
systems.

References
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Mackill DJ, Bonman JM. 1992. Inheritance of blast resistance in near-isogenic lines in rice.
Phytopathology 82:746-749
Savary S, Castilla NP, Elazegui FA, Teng PS. 2005. Multiple effects of two drivers of agricultural
change, labor shortage and water scarcity, on rice pest profiles in tropical Asia. Field
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IRRI (International Rice Research Institute). 1996. Standard evaluation system for rice. 4th ed.
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Telebanco-Yanoria MJ, Imbe T, Kato H, Tsunematsu H, Ebron LA, Vera Cruz CM, Kobayashi N,
Fukuta Y. 2008. A set of standard differential blast isolates (Magnaporthe grisea (Hebert)
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