PRESENTER: Dr. Jeffrey Stuart

TITLE: Transmission of Rice Hoja Blanca Virus in Latin America

ABSTRACT: Rice hoja blanca (white leaf) disease is the most important viral disease of rice in Latin America. Rice cultivars that are genetically resistant to both the Rice hoja blanca virus (RHBV) and its insect vector are used to manage the disease. Previous investigations indicated that a single Medelian factor conditions RHBV-virulence and RHBV-avirulence and that avirulence is dominant to virulence. To test this hypothesis, structured Sogata mapping populations were developed so that bulked segregant analysis, in combination with whole genome sequencing of Sogata RHBV-virulent and RHBV-avirulent bulks, can be performed. Results of these experiments are helping map the Sogata genome and the discovery of what causes viral incompetence in the insect. Dr. Stuart will provide the results of the work supported by the Center for Global Food Security seed grant.

Dr. Jeffrey Stuart is a Professor of Insect Molecular Genetics in the Department of Entomology. He received his BA from the Washburn University in 1979, an MS from Kansas State University in 1982 and his PhD, also from Kansas State University, in 1987.

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