In 1994 the major race of rice blast fungus isolated in Nagano Prefecture was 007. Other races isolated in this year were 001, 003, 041, 047, 101, 103 and 107.2. The appearances of the races 041 and 047, which were absent in 1980, were due to the increasing use of Yaekogane and Fukuhikari varieties of rice which have a resistance gene (Pi-z) to these races of rice blast.
