Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Myoviridae</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Podoviridae</Emphasis> family bacteriophages of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Erwinia amylovora</Emphasis> from Hungary - potential of application in biological control of fire blight

The virulence spectrum of 300 isolates of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), representing 17 districts of Punjab, Pakistan was elucidated through inoculation on a set of six rice IRRI-differentials. The virulence level was assessed by using principal component and cluster analysis. Among six principal components (PCs), PC-1 exhibited 59.3 % of the total variance. The highly virulent isolates clusters on the positive side of the ordination away from the point of intersection of PC1 and PC2 and classifies the Xoo isolates from slow disease to the highest disease causing entities. The 300 isolates were categorized into 29 pathotypes (Pt1-29) wherein the highly virulent pathotype (Pt-1), comprises of 39 Xoo isolates were widespread in 12 districts. The majority of Xoo isolates were moderately to least virulent (21.7–43 %) and average disease progress curves confirmed the field reactions of these pathotype clusters for an efficient recognition of Xoo isolates. Interaction of the pathogen with differentials harboring different resistant genes was well investigated in the current study for future management approaches for which the surveillance of the new Xoo pathotypes may expedite the disease resistant rice breeding programme in the country.