Researchers Reveal Gene That Boost Resistance of Crops Against Blast Disease

A team of multinational researchers led by National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment of France has identified a plant gene that provides resistance to blast disease. Their findings will help protect rice and wheat crops that may be affected by this disease.

Blast disease is a destructive agricultural disease caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Originally, it only affected rice crops, but since the 1980s, it has also affected wheat. To protect crops from blast disease, identification of disease-resistance genes may be necessary.

Scientists from France, Iran, China, and the Philippines studied the molecular mechanisms underlying rice's resistance to blast. The team discovered Ptr, a novel type of plant disease resistance gene, which boosts the immunity of rice to M. oryzae. Their research lays the path for the investigation of new resistance mechanisms based on Ptr and other novel components, which will help with disease resistance and crop protection.

For more information, read the article on Nature Plants.