Nano Zinc Oxide Enhances Rice's Resistance to Rice Blast Fungus, Study Finds

Recently, the Rice Crop Pest Control Technology Innovation Team at the China National Rice Research Institute discovered through research that nano zinc oxide can enhance rice's resistance to rice blast fungus. This research provides a new and effective method for preventing and controlling rice blast disease, and also provides a new method for improving rice's tolerance to abiotic stress. The research results were published in the journal "Environmental Pollution".

Throughout its growth period, rice is usually subjected to various abiotic and biotic stresses. Among them, rice blast disease is one of the most serious diseases in rice, generally causing a yield loss of 10%-30%. In recent years, nanoparticles have been used in multiple fields, including agriculture, to improve traditional crop production systems, enhance crop disease resistance, nutrient utilization, and crop yield, among other things. Among the many nanoparticles, nano zinc oxide is one of the most commonly used nanoparticles in agriculture, which can affect plant height, root development, seed germination, and chlorophyll content, among other things.

The research team found that after treating rice with nano zinc oxide, it could suppress the production of rice blast fungus spores and the formation of adhesion cells, exhibiting antibacterial activity. At the same time, it also induced the accumulation of rice reactive oxygen species and the upregulation of defense-related genes, reduced the level of abscisic acid in rice, enhanced the basic resistance of rice, and significantly reduced the incidence of rice blast disease. In addition, the research also found that treating rice with nano zinc oxide can enhance its tolerance to high temperature and osmotic stress.

This research was supported by the National Key R&D Program, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Zhejiang Province Key R&D Program, and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' Youth Innovation Project.