It is necessary to understand the bacterial populations associated with rice so as to provide more information and natural resources for effective management of major diseases in rice. A survey on screening and identification of gram-positive bacteria was conducted during 1998–2004. Seven hundred and fifty-six rice samples were collected from Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian and Yunnan Provinces, China. Over 1000 bacterial isolates were isolated and tested for colony morphology, pathogenicity, and some characteristics of bacteriology including Gram staining, fluorescent pigment on Kings medium B and microscopic observation for endospore. Together with five standard reference strains, 74 representative gram-positive bacterial isolates were confirmed by Biolog and gas chromatographic analysis of fatty acid methyl esters. Five bacterial species of Bacillus and other three genera were identified and isolates from Bacillus sublitis and Bacillus megaterium, exhibited the most effective inhibition against the pathogens of sheath blight and bakanae disease of rice. A few isolates from Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus megaterium showed weak virulent on rice together with some virulent isolates, risk should be considered when isolates from these species were screened for biocontrol agents.
Luo Jin-yanXIE Guan-linLI BinLuo Yuan-chanZHAO Li-hanWANG XiaoLIU BoLI Wen
Burkholderia cepacia (Bc) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) are both biocontrol agents in agriculture and opportunistic human pathogens in hospitals. Effective management and utilization practice is needed to understand their characteristics and distribution in rice. During the last decade, the two opportunistic human pathogens were detected in 631 samples of rice seed and 117 samples of rice plant in plain, highland and mountainous rice growing areas of China. Bc and Pa were primarily differentiated by common bacteriological characteristics and pathogenic tests and then identified into species by Biolog and FAME tests. However, the genotypes of Bc still could not be distinguished. It has been noted that the Bc and Pa mainly existed in rice root with the highest distribution frequency in plain areas ( 6.1% and 16.1%) and lowest in the mountainous areas (1.0% and 7.8%).
