Abstract
Inoculation of rice panicles with Xanthomonas translucens f. sp. oryzae (Fang et al.) Pordesimo (=X. oryzicola Fang et al.) at different developmental stages of florets and seeds, resulted in brown or black discolouration and death of ovary, stamens and endosperm, and browning of glumes. The bacterium was found to remain under the glumes in mature seed.
Plumule got contaminated with the bacterium hibernating under the glumes, during seed germination. Infection of coleoptile, leaf sheaths and first leaf occurred successively through open, semi-open and normal types of stomata, respectively. The first leaf carried the bacterium to the aerial parts. Seed infection in panicles occurred from the bacterial exudates on the flag leaf.
