Viral and phytoplasma

diseases of rice
Harrar Seminar Hall
International Rice Research Institute
Los Baños, Laguna
12-15 March 2018
Viral and phytoplasma
diseases of rice
 Outline of presentation

• Definition of terms
• Steps in disease diagnosis
• Identification of diseases caused by:
– Virus (tungro, grassy stunt, ragged stunt)
– Phytoplasma (yellow dwarf, orange leaf)
Viral diseases of rice
 What is a virus?

• Very small particle that can only be seen using

electron microscope
• Length of viruses = 20 to 1,000nm
• Size of a bacterial cell = 1000 x 3000nm
• Obligate parasite: cannot survive outside of the
host; multiply only in living cells
• Does not produce any kind of specialized
reproductive structures in contrast to other
pathogens
• Transmitted from one plant to another through
vectors (insects for rice diseases) or wound
 Types of symptoms

Symptoms could either be

• localized: symptom is found at the
point of infection
• systemic: usually caused by rice
viruses and phytoplasmas; entire plant
show symptoms
abnormal growth
changes in leaf color
Rice tungro disease
 Typical symptoms of
tungro

Plant is stunted (shorter leaves, internode &

leaf sheath) with fewer tillers
Tungro symptoms vary depending on the virus

RTBV+RTSV
RTSV Healthy
RTBV alone alone
Rice tungro disease is a
disease complex associated
with:
• Rice tungro bacilliform
virus (RTBV)
25 x 250 nm

• Rice tungro spherical

virus (RTSV)
30-33 nm in diameter
Green leafhopper: vector of tungro
Transmission of RTBV is dependent
on RTSV

• RTBV could be transmitted only with

the presence of RTSV
• RTSV could be transmitted
independently and could occur as an
independent disease in the field
GLH feeds on: Then on: Result:

RTBV-infected plant RTSV-infected plant Healthy plant RTSV-infected plant

GLH feeds on:

RTBV + RTSV-
RTSV-infected plant
infected plant RTBV-infected plant

RTBV-infected plant Healthy plant RTSV-infected plant

 After 3 to 4 wks

After 1 to 2 wks
GLH with
A
viruses
(RTSV)

Female lay eggs

Aggregated or clumped distribution of tungro at vegetative stage,
diseased plants are crowded around the primary infection site

Uniform distribution of tungro when the variety is highly susceptible

Ragged stunt

Image:
Dr. Bui Xuan Phong
North Regional Plant Protection Center
Plant Protection Department
Vietnam
 Typical symptoms of ragged stunt

Ragged or serrated leaves

Small leaves

Panicles are Vein swelling on

partially exserted leaf sheaths and
with unfilled leaves usually
grains near the collar
Dark green and twisted leaves
Grassy stunt

Typical symptoms:
• Severe stunting
• Profuse tillering
• Erect growth
• Short, narrow and
pale green or yellow
leaves
 Grassy stunt

Plants infected at the seedling stage

rarely reach maturity.

Those that survive until maturity

produce few panicles.

Panicles produced are small with dark

brown,
unfilled grains.

Plant growth is uneven in a heavily

affected field

Leaves have rust

appearance and dries up
at the tip
Grassy stunt
Symptoms of rice virus diseases

Grassy stunt Tungro Ragged stunt

Brown planthopper:
vector of grassy stunt and
ragged stunt viruses
Phytoplasma diseases of rice
 What is a phytoplasma?

• Very small bacterium (80–800 nm, generally

still bigger than a virus)
• Does not possess a cell wall like typical
bacteria
• Cannot synthesize compounds necessary for
their survival
• Obligate parasites: obtain substances for
survival from other plants and insects
• Spreads from one plant to another through
insect vectors
Orange leaf

• Golden yellow to deep orange

leaves
• Initial discoloration usually
begins with young leaves of a
tiller and start near the tip of
the leaves
• The orange color becomes
more pronounced as the
disease progresses.

Image: William M. Brown Jr.,

Bugwood.org
 Orange leaf

inward rolling of infected leaves

Image: William M. Brown Jr., Bugwood.org

 Orange leaf

Stunting with reduced number of tillers

Infected plants die 2 to 3 weeks after infection
Vector of orange leaf

Zigzag leafhopper
(Recilia dorsalis)
Yellow dwarf

• Leaves are yellow

green, white green
or pale yellow
• Severe stunting
• Increased tillering
• Leaves become soft
and droopy
 Vectors of yellow dwarf

Nephotettix virescens Nephotettix Nephotettix

nigropictus cincticeps
 Phytoplasma of yellow dwarf
Candidatus Phytoplasma oryzae
 Identification of diseases caused by viruses and
phytoplasmas
A1. Plants may show slight stunting, reduced tillering
B1. Upright growth habit; premature death;
orange colored, rolled leaves…………………………………. Orange Leaf

A2. Plants show stunting, tillering may be reduced

B1. Leaves are green, serrated or ragged; flag
leaves are small and often twisted or malformed;
vein swellings appear on leaf sheaths, leaf blade,
and culms; nodal panicles produced at later
stages of growth……………………………………………… Ragged Stunt
B2. Leaves are discolored, yellow or yellow orange……….. Tungro

A3. Plants show severe stunting; excessive tillering

B1. Leaves are light green, narrow, stiff and often
with rusty spots……………………………………………… Grassy Stunt
B2. Leaves show general chlorosis………………………..…. Yellow Dwarf
Management of tungro
 Management options

• More effective to take measures

to prevent tungro disease from
entering the field than to control
the disease after it has appeared
• Once a plant is infected by tungro
disease it cannot be cured
 Sources of tungro inoculum

• Tungro viruses are transmitted only by

leafhopper vectors and do not persist in them.
– Principal source for carry-over of tungro
disease is the infected host plant:
• Rice crops
• Rice stubbles
• Volunteer rice
• Weeds
• Wild rice
 Resistance to rice tungro disease

Two types:
Resistance to the vector:
the leafhopper cannot feed and
reproduce effectively on resistant
plants.
Resistance to the virus:
the virus cannot survive and multiply
inside the plant
 Use of resistant varieties (virus)

 Best way to control initial inoculum

and reduce disease spread

 Simplest, cheapest and most

effective tool
 Advanced lines with
resistance to tungro

RTBV Infection

60 RTSV Infection
Resistant
40

20

Visual Infection
GLH Population
50
40
30
20
10
0
IR 62 IR 64 IR 69705 IR 69726- IR 69734-5 IR 69734- IR 71031 IR 71605
116 128
 RTSV resistant and RTBV tolerant varieties in
the Philippines
Variety Line No. Source of Reaction
resistance

Matatag 1 IR69726-116-1-3 Utri Merah Resistant to RTSV

Matatag 2 IR69726-29-1-2-2-2 Utri Merah Resistant to RTSV

Matatag 3 IR68305-18-1-1 Balimau Putih Tolerant to RTBV

Matatag 4 IR68305-18-1-2 Balimau Putih Tolerant to RTBV

Matatag 9 IR73885-1-4-3-2-1-6 O. rufipogon Tolerant to RTBV

NSIC 112 IR72102-159-1-3-3-3 O. barthii Resistant to RTSV

NSIC 140 IR77298-5-6 Aday Sel Resistant to RTSV

Tungro resistant Matatag 9 compared with IR64

IR64 Matatag 9
 When do we grow Matatag lines?

high tungro

reduce tungro low tungro

grow popular variety

susceptible variety grow Matatag lines (HYV with good-eating quality)
 Rotation of cultivars

Rotation of cultivars with different

levels of resistance

NSIC 140 Popular HYV Matatag 9 Popular HYV

dry season 1 wet season 1 dry season 2 wet season 2
 Use of insecticides for
leafhopper control
Approaches could be categorized into:
– Eradication of vector population in infected
field so that it will not migrate to
neighboring fields
– Prevention of healthy crop from infection

The application of insecticides to prevent a healthy

crop from getting infected is often not effective.
– Tungro spreads very rapidly
– Leafhoppers can transmit tungro viruses in
very short feeding time
– Continuous movement of leafhoppers from
surrounding fields
 Use of insecticides for leafhopper control

Use chemicals with no adverse effects on natural

enemies:
• Use insect growth regulators such as Bupofrezin
(inhibits larval molting, egg-laying and/or induces
oviposition of unhatchable eggs)
• Do not use broad spectrum pesticides to protect
natural enemies (e.g., organophosphate, pyrethroids)
Asynchronous planting favors rice tungro epidemics
• If done immediately after harvest, removes
re-growths that may contain virus
• Involves extra expenses and depends on
availability of water
 Cultural control

Plowing under infected stubbles

Reduces inoculum sources and destroys
eggs and breeding sites of GLH vector
Recommended when the previous crop was
diseased and should be done immediately
after harvest
Synchrony of planting
Reduces the spread of the disease because
inoculum sources are minimized and
leafhoppers are not able to carry tungro
from one crop to the next.
 Cultural control

Proper timing of crop establishment

Avoid planting during the peak of GLH
activity (shown by historical records) to
avoid infestation. Light traps can be used
to show GLH numbers.
 Cultural control

Roguing
– Could help reduce tungro incidence
– Not effective if incidence is already high
• Some plants look healthy but are already
infected
• Pulling out infected plants may disturb
leafhoppers and make the disease spread
faster
Direct seeding
– Tungro incidence is usually lower in direct
seeded than in transplanted rice
• Because dense plant population reduce the
chances for GLH to find and feed on
diseased plants
 Chemical control

Use insect pest

regulator (Buprofezin)
larval molting, egg-
laying and/or induces
oviposition of
unhatchable eggs,
Summary on management of rice diseases

Cultural practice BLB LB NB ShB BS RTD

Use of resistant     
varieties
Synchronous planting    
Removal of green      
bridge
Roguing 
Plowing & drying of     
the field
Optimum N rate      
Split application of N   
Thank you