Unity Against Uncertainty: Experts Come Together to Combat Rice False Smut

LOS BANOS, Philippines, October 14-17, 2024-Plant pathology experts from Asia, Africa, Europe, and America convened at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) headquarters to address the threat of Rice False Smut (RFS) disease. Participants from 30 international organizations expressed their commitment to this cause by joining the newly formed International Rice False Smut Consortium (IRFSC).

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The event, supported by the John Templeton Foundation, included presentations, workshops, meetings, and field visits. It responds to the increasing threat of false smut disease caused by the fungal pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens. This disease is exacerbated by changing climate patterns and increased seed movement, posing a significant risk to high-yield rice varieties. The molecular and genetic characteristics of the pathogen, along with its epidemiology and host resistance, remain poorly understood, highlighting an urgent need for agricultural research in this area. The workshop also served as the launch platform for the IRFSC, which aims to create a dynamic knowledge exchange platform for sharing cutting-edge research, insights, and experiences related to false smut disease and its management. The consortium will establish an international working group of multidisciplinary experts to collaboratively explore solutions, share resources, and drive collective research efforts.

Additionally, it will formulate a comprehensive research roadmap to guide future investigations into the biology, molecular, genetic, and ecological aspects of false smut disease. During the four-day workshop, onsite and online participants participated in sessions focused on developing actionable strategies with three to ten years of milestones. The first three years will emphasize establishing foundational tools and frameworks, including developing and validating RFS resistance screening protocols, identifying elite RFS resistance donors, initiating QTL mapping, and piloting a disease forecasting model. As the consortium progresses toward year five, it will aim to enhance collaborative research and implement tangible solutions. This will involve validating candidate QTLs/genes across various locations, developing new resistant rice varieties, expanding pathogen population studies, and publishing comprehensive insights into pathogen biology and resistance mechanisms.

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Through the consortium, the members plan to deploy RFS management packages and incorporate forecasting into advisory systems during this timeframe. By the tenth year, the consortium aims to establish sustainable global solutions. A steering committee was elected to ensure the consortium's sustainability and effectiveness. This committee will guide strategic direction, decision-making, monitoring and oversight, and stakeholder engagement. Dr. Van Schepler-Luu, Lead of the Plant Pathology and Host Plant Resistance Group at IRRI, and Dr. Nollie Vera Cruz, an IRRI alumnus, will represent the institute on this committee alongside colleagues from AfricaRice, CNRRI, Bayer, Corteva, Alliance Bioversity and CIAT, USDA, JIRCAS, and TSL, among others.

Participants expressed their enthusiasm for being part of the consortium. Adam Sparks from Curtin University in Australia remarked, "Consortia bring people together. It's easy to keep doing your work in isolation, but the details are important. You may not have all the information, but a consortium can integrate a wide range of expertise that strengthens your research."

Camila Nicolli from the University of Arkansas emphasized the importance of partnerships: "The diseases we face here in Asia are different from those in other parts of the world. In the U.S., our experiences are not the same. As a new systems professor, I recognize that to help others, we need to learn from outside our perspective."

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The workshop's outcomes and the consortium's long-term objectives have the potential to shape the research agenda, policy decisions, and practical approaches to rice cultivation worldwide. For more information, please contact Dr. Van Schepler-Luu at [email protected].