A New Species Bussabanomyces oryzae Isolated from Rice and Beneficial Application in Rice Seedling

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Mycology
• Plant Pathology

Background:

• Endophytic fungi reside within plant tissues, contributing to host growth and stress tolerance.
• Identifying and utilizing functional endophytic strains can mitigate crop stress.
• Root endophytic fungi are crucial for plant health and agricultural sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and identify novel root endophytic fungi from rice.
• To investigate the growth-promoting and stress-resilience-enhancing capabilities of isolated endophytes.
• To characterize the colonization patterns of a promising endophytic strain in rice.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of endophytes from rice roots.
• Morphological observation and five-gene phylogenetic analysis for species identification.
• Co-culture assays to evaluate plant growth promotion.
• Assessment of plant stress resistance, including disease resistance and transplant survival.

Main Results:

• A novel species, Bussabanomyces oryzae (B. oryzae), was identified from rice roots.
• B. oryzae colonized rice roots by invading epidermal, cortical, and vascular bundle cells.
• Co-culture with rice led to a 23% increase in growth volume and a 52% increase in fresh weight.
• B. oryzae enhanced rice resistance to rice blast and improved field transplant survival rates.

Conclusions:

• Bussabanomyces oryzae is a novel endophytic fungus with significant potential for agricultural applications.
• This fungus effectively promotes rice growth and enhances its tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
• Further research into B. oryzae can lead to sustainable strategies for improving crop production.