Introducing a win-win strategy for both rice yield and sheath blight resistance

Area of Science:

• Plant pathology
• Genetics
• Molecular biology

Background:

• Sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is a major threat to rice production worldwide.
• Understanding the genetic basis of resistance is crucial for developing resistant cultivars.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the role of SBRR1-R in sheath blight resistance.
• To highlight the importance of SBRR1-R for resistance gene mining.
• To explore the potential of molecular design breeding for sheath blight resistance.

Main Methods:

• Commentary based on the findings of Feng et al. (2025, Nat. Genet).

Main Results:

• SBRR1-R plays a key role in conferring resistance to sheath blight.
• Germplasm resources can be mined for resistance genes using SBRR1-R as a target.
• Molecular design breeding offers a promising avenue for enhancing sheath blight resistance.

Conclusions:

• SBRR1-R is a valuable target for improving sheath blight resistance in rice.
• Further research into SBRR1-R and its application in breeding programs is warranted.