This review synthesizes rice bacterial leaf-streak mechanisms caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola, linking resistance QTLs, TALE interactions with host susceptibility genes, and defense genes to marker-assisted selection and gene editing for durable resistance.
Key findings
- Leaf-streak resistance is largely quantitative, making QTL pyramiding and pathogen-evolution monitoring important. TALEs recruit host susceptibility genes, so promoter editing or combining defense loci is mechanistically plausible, but durability must be tested against diverse pathogen strains and environments.
Why this matters globally
Rice feeds more than half of the global population, while climate change may accelerate pathogen evolution. Integrating genomics, computation, and breeding could reduce chemical dependence and support food security if varietal acceptance, regulation, and genetic diversity are considered.
Thai researcher contribution
Kasetsart University's Rice Science Center, Prince of Songkla University, and BIOTEC-NSTDA combined rice genetics, plant pathology, and biotechnology in a framework directly relevant to Thailand's rice sector.
Limitations to consider
This is a review, not a trial of a new rice variety. It does not itself establish yield, multi-season durability, or gene-editing off-target effects. A molecular focus may underrepresent trade-offs in yield, grain quality, farmer preferences, and pathogen ecology.