P. DIVYA, *N.P. ESWARA REDDY AND A.SRIVIDYA

Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology,S.V. Agricultural College, ANGRAU, Tirupati-517502, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India.

ABSTRACT

Nellore Mahsuri (NLR34449) is a medium fine grain rice variety and mostly adopted by many of the farmers. However, the variety is resistant to blast but susceptible to bacterial leaf blight (BLB). Phenotype screening had been done for two varieties to determine BLB score of Nellore Mahsuri (NLR34449) in comparison to a known check RPBio226 (improved samba Mahsuri), which is having three broad spectrum tolerant BLB genes viz., Xa21, xa13 and xa5. Genotyping of two varieties was studied using three SSR gene specific markers viz., pta248, xa13 pro, xa5FS, linked to the BLB resistance genes viz. Xa21, xa13 and xa5, respectively. Allelic scoring for these markers revealed the abscence of these three broad spectrum genes in NLR34449. Hence, introgression of these genes would improve the tolerance levels of this popular variety.

KEYWORDS:

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB), tolerance, SSR markers