Vol. 11, Issue 12 (2022)

Author(s):
Nutan Moharana, Bansidhar Pradhan, Krishnendu Chattopadhyay, Shuvendu Shekhar Mohapatra, Arup Kumar Mukherjee, Tapash Kumar Mishra, Mihir Ranjan Mohanty and Rajesh Kumar Kar

Abstract:
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the staple food of more than 70 percent of the Indian population. But, in recent decades, the crop has been severely impacted by adverse climatic effects and several biotic and abiotic stresses. The bacterial leaf blight disease is the main restriction among the biotic stresses that drop productivity in lowland ecology. The bacterial leaf blight disease is a solemn yield-limiting issue in the late maturing group of rice, which is further intensified by the application of a high dose of nitrogenous fertiliser for a higher yield that is favourable for this disease's advance. As a result, popular varieties lacking resistance to major diseases and pests should be settled for long-term production. Realising the importance of the problem, the present investigation was undertaken, and three bacterial blight resistance genes were transferred into the background of ‘high protein-Swarna’ using a marker-assisted backcross breeding approach. Further, in epiphytic conditions, bacterial leaf blight disease screening was performed to identify susceptible and resistant plant populations. Using gene-based SSR markers like RM13 for the xa5 gene, xa13 prom for the xa13 gene, and PTA-248 for the xa21 gene, foreground selection was done for BLB resistance in each substituent backcross population. Also, plants were selected and tagged based on their morpho-physiological characteristics that bore resemblance to the recipient parents. In the epiphytic condition, bacterial leaf blight disease screening was performed to identify susceptible and resistant plant populations. The plant populations, along with their parents, susceptible check (swarna), and resistance check (IRBB5, IRBB13, 1RBB21), were inoculated with highly virulent strains NR-Xoo-P-05 of Xanthomonas oryzaepv. oryzae (Xoo) at maximum tillering stage. The variety CRDHAN 800 recorded with all three resistant genes had an average protein content of 5.90 per cent and a mean plot yield of 600.45 g. The resistant line CR4169-52-1, which was claimed to have all three resistance genes, had a mean plot yield of 890.90 g and an average protein content of 9.61%. Similar to line CR4169-52-4, which also possessed all three resistance genes, a mean plot yield of 831.75 g, and an average protein content of 9.61%. Considering all the criterion lines CR4169-52-1 and CR4169-52-4 reported as better performers, they may be tested further.