Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 7633 IREC Farmers' Newsletter No. 195 ­ – Rice R&D 2016 Rice blast in Australia Thirteen isolates of the rice blast pathogen were collected across northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia (Table 1). The race status of each was characterised into five different races using an international race differential system (Table 1). Finding resistant genes Resistance to rice blast can be controlled by a single gene, in which case the line of rice is described as monogenic. A set of 25 monogenic rice lines with targeted blast resistance genes (Table 2) was imported from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and released from South Perth Post Entry Quarantine, Western Australia. The Pi40 gene, that has shown broad- spectrum resistance to rice blast in other Asian counties and Africa, was included in these lines. This novel source of resistance was extracted from a native wild rice species (Oryza australiensis) from northern Australia. The disease responses of these 25 lines against the rice blast isolates belonging to the five races were determined, with the aim of identifying the genes with resistance to the rice blast races in Australia. Among the rice lines tested, lines IRTP19029 (gene Pi40), IRBL11 (gene Piz-t), IRBL20 (gene Pi5(t)), IRBL22 (gene Pi9) and IRBL23 (gene Pi12(t)) exhibited broad-spectrum resistance to all the rice blast races tested (Table 2). Testing against blast Nineteen representative rice varieties grown in Australia with origin from Australia and five other countries were tested to determine their responses to the rice blast isolates (Table 3). These varieties were chosen as they represent either historically- demonstrated circumstantial evidence of resistance to rice blast in tropical northern Australia, or represent the spectrum of current commercial varieties with existing market value that have been recently grown in this region. The aim of the work was to identify rice varieties with resistance to the rice blast isolates in Australia. Among the rice varieties tested, the Chinese variety SHZ-2 was resistant to all the rice blast races tested. The Australian variety Quest and the Chinese variety Yunlu 29 showed susceptible reactions to four of the races, and only moderate resistance to the remaining race (Table 3). Conclusions The project provided information for the first time about the races of rice blast occurring in Australia. The 13 rice blast isolates collected from northern Australia belonged to five different races. Five genes having broad-spectrum resistance to all races were identified from 25 monogenic lines of rice. In addition, this study provided information about the resistance of rice varieties to Australian races of rice blast, and identified the variety SHZ-2 showing broad-spectrum resistance to these races. This project provides valuable information and resistance sources for future breeding programs to screen and develop rice varieties with broad-spectrum disease resistance that are adapted to Australian conditions. This will help to develop an economically viable rice industry in northern Australia, and increase the resilience of rice growers against this disease threat in traditional southern growing areas of Australia. RIRDC Project PRJ-008565 Characterisation of rice blast races present in Australia The project involves the following scientists: l  Dr Vincent Lanoiselet, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia l  Dr Martin Barbetti, School of Plant Biology and the UWA Institute of Agriculture, Faculty of Science, the University of Western Australia l  Dr Peter Snell, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Yanco Agricultural Institute. l  Dr Xiangling Fang, School of Plant Biology and the UWA Institute of Agriculture, Faculty of Science, the University of Western Australia Acknowledgments We thank Dr Roger Shivas at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Queensland and the University of Queensland, Australia for providing some of the isolates. We thank Mr Andrew Barfield at Rice Research Australia Pty Ltd and Dr Russell Reinke at International Rice Research Institute for providing rice seeds. Further information Dr Vincent Lanoiselet T: 08 9368 3263 E: [email protected] Table 1. Rice blast isolates collected in northern Australia Isolate Host collected Origin Year collected Race NT2015a Rice (Oryza sativa) Tortilla Flats, Northern Territory 2015 IA-1 NT2014b Rice (Oryza sativa) Tortilla Flats, Northern Territory 2014 IA-1 WAC13466 Rice (Oryza sativa) Kununurra, Western Australia 2011 IA-1 BRIP53372 Rice (Oryza sativa) Lakeland Downs, Queensland 2012 IA-1 BRIP53870 Canary grass (Phalaris canariensis) Clifton, Queensland 2010 IA-1 BRIP39772 Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Goodger, Queensland 2003 IA-3 BRIP15748a Rice (Oryza rufipogon) Brandon, Queensland 1982 IA-63 NT2014a Rice (Oryza sativa) Tortilla Flats, Northern Territory 2014 IB-3 BRIP53376 Rice (Oryza sativa) Lakeland Downs, Queensland 2012 IB-3 BRIP59311a Setaria sp. Millaa Millaa, Queensland 2013 IB-59 BRIP58447a Rice (Oryza sativa) Clare, Queensland 2013 IB-59 BRIP25865a Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) Banana, Queensland 1998 IB-59 BRIP15815 Rara grass (Brachiaria mutica) Julatten, Queensland 1987 IB-59