Differential behaviour of sheath blight pathogen Rhizoctonia solani in tolerant and susceptible rice varieties before and during infection

This study characterized the early infection and establishment of the sheath blight pathogen Rhizoctonia solani on a tolerant rice variety, Swarnadhaan (IET 5656), and a susceptible variety, Swarna (MTU 7029). Assays using whole plants showed that disease severity was higher in Swarna than Swarnadhaan. In a detached leaf assay, Swarnadhaan showed a disease index that was 50% less than that with Swarna. Rhizoctonia solani exhibited different growth behaviour in the tolerant and susceptible varieties. The pathogen showed more hyphal growth in the susceptible host than in the tolerant variety. It also showed profuse branching, making intimate contact with the host surface to form more inter‐ and intracellular structures, and greater sclerotial development in the susceptible host compared to the tolerant one. Using light and scanning electron microscopy, it was observed for the first time that the pathogen could intercept host surface structures and use these for anchorage or penetration. Transformed R. solani, expressing green fluorescent protein, was observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy to investigate pathogen behaviour, including the formation of infection cushions and subsequent colonization of the host tissues. This is the first ultrastructural report to characterize the differential behaviour of the sheath blight pathogen in the vicinity and within tolerant and susceptible rice plants.