Journal of Agronomy and Field Innovations

Background: Bacterial leaf blight (BLB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, is a major threat to global rice production, causing significant economic losses, particularly in Asia. Early and accurate detection of the pathogen is critical for effective disease management and preventing epidemic outbreaks.
Objective: The study aimed to evaluate Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) as a rapid, sensitive, and field-deployable molecular diagnostic tool for detecting Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae in rice tissues.
Method: A LAMP assay targeting the conserved hrp pathogenicity region was developed and applied to naturally and artificially inoculated rice cultivars under both controlled and field conditions. Its diagnostic performance was compared with conventional PCR-based identification in terms of sensitivity, specificity, detection time, and ability to detect the pathogen in field-collected samples.
Results: The LAMP assay achieved a diagnostic sensitivity of 98.4% and a specificity of 100%, comparable to conventional PCR. Detection was completed within 45 minutes at 65°C, whereas conventional PCR required 2–3 hours. The assay successfully differentiated X. oryzae pv. oryzae from closely related Xanthomonas species and other non-target pathogens. It also demonstrated superior performance with field-collected samples containing degraded DNA, overcoming a common limitation of conventional PCR.
Conclusion: The study establishes LAMP as a rapid, reliable, and practical diagnostic tool for bacterial leaf blight in rice. Its high sensitivity, specificity, speed, and suitability for field applications make it a valuable approach for disease surveillance, timely management decisions, and improved crop protection in rice production systems.