The Biology, Epidemiology, and Management of Rice Tungro Disease in Asia

Transgenic rice plants that overexpress transcription factors RF2a and RF2b are tolerant to rice tungro virus replication and disease

“…basic leucine zipper ͉ host factors ͉ resistance R ice tungro disease (RTD) accounts for Ϸ $1.5 billion annual loss in rice production worldwide (1,2), and epidemics of tungro disease in the last century caused famines and great loss of human life (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). RTD results from coinfection by rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) and rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV).…”

“…Typical disease symptoms include stunting and discoloration of infected plants, reduced tillering, and small and/or sterile panicles. When plants are infected in the early seedling stage, yield losses can be as much as 100% (4,6,7). The disease is transmitted by green leafhoppers (GLH) (Nephotettix virescens) in a semipersistent manner.…”

Integrated pest management for sustainable rice cultivation: a holistic approach

“…Increasing cropping intensity will increase the potential for insect herbivores to complete further generations and results in practical problems such as carryover of pests and weeds from one crop through stubble or fallow periods to the next crop (Holt et al, 1996;Azzam and Chancellor, 2002).…”

The Impact of Plant Virus Diseases in Developing Countries

“…Progress has been made in developing vector-resistant and more recently virus-resistant varieties (Azzam and Chancellor, 2002). There has also been much use of insecticides to control the leafhopper vector, with deleterious effects on natural enemies and human health, as discussed later (1.7.4.).…”

“…There has also been much use of insecticides to control the leafhopper vector, with deleterious effects on natural enemies and human health, as discussed later (1.7.4.). Moreover, vector resistance has not been durable and additional severe outbreaks of tungro occurred in several Asian countries in the 1980s and 1990s (Azzam and Chancellor, 2002). Thus, tungro has remained a problem in endemic 'hot spot' areas from which it has the potential to spread to other locations and develop into the large-scale epidemics that occur sporadically and unpredictably.…”