New initiative equips BPI-NSQCS officials with bacterial panicle blight detection

LOS BAÑOS, PHILIPPINES (March 12, 2025) – Bacterial panicle blight (BPB), caused by the seed-borne and seed-transmitted pathogen Burkholderia glumae , is an emerging threat to rice production. Aside from yield losses, which can result in up to 70%, BPB also poses significant risks to seed production, international seed trade, and biodiversity. Although its prevalence remained low for many years, BPB outbreaks have become more frequent and widespread, now affecting over 2 0 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas (Azzahra et al., 2024).

To respond to this challenge, IRRI’s Seed Health and Logistics Unit (SHU) developed a rapid and simple diagnostic test for bacterial panicle blight using the Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) method. LAMP is a technique that rapidly amplifies specific DNA sequences, allowing for the quick and accurate detection of Burkholderia glumae . This method is performed at a constant temperature without the need for complex laboratory equipment, making it ideal for use in the field.

As part of scaling out this method, IRRI-SHU introduced it to the Bureau of Plant Industry-National Seed Quality Control Services (BPI-NSQCS) through a Capacity Development Workshop on the Rapid Detection of Bacterial Panicle Blight of Rice. The workshop aimed to enhance the seed health diagnostic skills of BPI seed analysts and facilitate the adoption of LAMP technology to strengthen seed quality management and plant quarantine efforts.

About the Development of Innovation System for Climate Smart Pest Management in Rice (CSPM)

Opening the training, IRRI’s Senior Associate Scientist Dr. Nancy Castilla emphasized that while rice cultivation is a victim of climate change, it also contributes to its worsening impacts.

“Methane emissions from rice cultivation, particularly pesticide application, contribute to greenhouse gas effects. Therefore, there is a need for climate-smart pest management to improve rice productivity while minimizing…