Revisiting the emerging pathosystem of rice sheath blight: deciphering the Rhizoctonia solani virulence, host range, and rice genotype-based resistance
mycolabadmin
Researchers studied a fungus that causes rice leaf disease in Egypt by isolating and testing different strains to understand why some were more damaging than others. They found the most aggressive strain produced more enzymes that break down plant cell walls, making it more harmful. The team also tested which rice varieties were naturally resistant to the disease and identified specific genes that could help breeders develop disease-resistant rice varieties without needing fungicide chemicals.