Identification of blast and sheath blight resistance genes in rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.) through SSR markers

325-333Blast and sheath blight are the most devastating diseases of rice, causing major yield losses every year worldwide. It has been shown that using resistant rice varieties would be the most effective way to control these diseases. The present study was undertaken with the objective to identify blast and sheath blight resistance genes among the 60 upland rice genotypes using SSR markers. The genetic frequencies of the 8 major rice blast and sheath blight resistance genes were ranged from 1.67 to 61.67% and 26.67 to 56.67%, respectively. The genotypes PKSLGR-1, PKSLGR-8, PKSLGR-27, PKSLGR-35 and IC362206 were found to have the maximum 5 blast resistance genes. The genotypes PKSLGR-1 harboured all the 8 identified sheath blight resistance genes; while genotypes PKSLGR-38 and IC426017, in each, possessed 7 sheath blight resistance genes