An artificial inoculation method for evaluating rice resistance to RBSDV

Area of Science:

• Plant Pathology
• Virology
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) causes significant global yield losses.
• Small brown planthopper (SBPH) transmits RBSDV, complicating field resistance identification.
• Environmental variability and seasonal SBPH outbreaks limit reliable field resistance screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient and reliable artificial inoculation system for screening RBSDV-resistant rice.
• To enable year-round resistance evaluation under controlled laboratory conditions.
• To accelerate the breeding of RBSDV-resistant rice varieties.

Main Methods:

• Optimized procedures for material preparation, inoculation, disease phenotyping, and resistance evaluation.
• Inoculation of 1st-2nd instar SBPH nymphs onto RBSDV-infected plants to achieve high viruliferous rates.
• Establishment of a stable laboratory virus source using susceptible rice seedlings for continuous SBPH infection cycles.

Main Results:

• Achieved high viruliferous rates in SBPH nymphs through direct inoculation.
• Generated a stable laboratory virus source enabling consistent SBPH infection.
• SBPH populations consistently maintained high viruliferous rates (average 42.4%) in subsequent inoculation cycles.

Conclusions:

• The developed artificial inoculation system provides a reliable and efficient method for RBSDV resistance screening.
• This laboratory system overcomes the limitations of field-based identification, enabling continuous evaluation.
• The system significantly accelerates the breeding process for RBSDV-resistant rice varieties.