New way found to fight blight in rice

HYDERABAD: Researchers at the Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have found a possible way to not just prevent the damage caused by bacteria that causes blight infection in rice plants but also use the bacteria itself, to make the rice resistant to bacterial infections. The bacteria, Xanthomonas Oryzae, that causes bacterial blight infection in rice This infection is fatal for rice crops, as farmers can lose up to 60 per cent of their crops owing to this disease..

The bacteria secretes chemicals called effector proteins, which suppress the innate immunity of the rice plant, causing infection. The researchers studied the interplay of the molecules of these effector proteins in the rice plant and identified the principal players behind this process. This led to discovery of a new plant-bacterial. The study was conducted by Dr Ramesh V Sonti along with senior scientists.