Chinese Scientists Discover New Way to Strengthen Rice Against Deadly Disease

Beijing (ANTARA) - A new study led by Chinese scientists, published in the journal Nature, has identified a key gene that helps rice resist bacterial blight and demonstrated how this defence can be rebuilt from the ground up.

Over the past 15 years, rice farmers across Asia have faced an escalating threat as bacterial blight spreads more rapidly and causes increasing damage. Warmer temperatures have intensified typhoons that aid the disease’s spread, while modern rice varieties have become less diverse, making them more susceptible to bacterial infection.

A team led by researchers from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences (CEMPS) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered a new resistance gene, which they named Xa48, in the indica rice variety “Shuangkezao”.

The gene acts like a security system. When harmful bacteria attack, the Xa48 gene helps the rice plant recognise the invader and immediately build strong defences. The scientists also identified a specific bacterial protein that triggers this response, which they named XopG. Once Xa48 detects XopG, the gene breaks down certain proteins that normally keep its immune system in check, allowing the plant to fight the infection.

The study also showed that combining two different types of immune defences yields the best results. The team used two resistance genes, namely the gene named Xa21 and the newly discovered Xa48 gene, to create a robust two-layer defence system. This approach provides broad and long-lasting protection against the disease for rice plants without disrupting their growth.

This new technology has been applied in rice breeding programmes in China, according to He Zuhua, a researcher at CEMPS.

“This research has been quickly implemented from the laboratory to the field, helping farmers grow healthier rice with less need for chemical pesticides,” he said.

This discovery not only helps solve a long-standing puzzle about how rice domestication shaped disease resistance but also provides a practical tool to ensure rice production in an increasingly warm world, He added.