Red Stripe of Rice Is Caused by a Bacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">Microbacterium</Emphasis> sp.

In an etiological study to identify the causal agent of red stripe of rice, white bacterial colonies were consistently isolated from all diseased leaf samples collected in Indonesia. All the bacterial isolates were pathogenic to rice and caused symptoms similar to red stripe. The bacterial infection in rice leaves was confirmed histologically. Bacterial masses were observed in the lumina of xylem vessels in the lesion area, especially in those of connecting strands. Analysis of the 16S rDNA of the causal bacterium gave best matches to the 16S rDNA sequence of Microbacterium spp. of Microbacteriaceae which includes Clavibacter. Received 9 September 1999/ Accepted in revised form 16 November 1999