ABSTRACT
Rice blast, caused by Pyricularia grisea, is an important and serious disease of rice (Oryza sativa) in the southeastern United States. The disease sporadically reaches epidemic proportions on susceptible cultivars within fields and over large areas within Arkansas. The main overwintering sources of inoculum reportedly include infected rice stubble, related host species, and infected seed. The objectives of the research were to (i) determine whether rice seed grown in Arkansas were infected with P. grisea, (ii) investigate the relationship between seed infection and seedling disease, and (iii) determine if planting naturally infected seed could lead to the subsequent development of rice blast on seedlings in the field. The results of seed assays showed that P. grisea was detected in samples of foundation, certified, and production seed. Estimated levels of infection by P. grisea of rice seed from 66 samples of rice seed grown in Arkansas ranged from 0 to 10.5%. Planting infected seed in the greenhouse and the field resulted in seedling infection. Planting naturally infected seed may result in disease development (i) from seedlings grown from infected seed planted beneath the soil surface, (ii) from seedlings grown from germinating seed left on the soil surface, (iii) from seed coats, or (iv) from nongerminated seed left on the soil surface after planting. Additional research is necessary to establish the mechanisms of infection of seedlings and to establish disease thresholds for this important fungal pathogen of rice.
