Ninety one isolates of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae were collected from different rice- growing regions in China and determined for their virulence on 24 rice near-isogenic lines containing single resistance gene and 2-4 genes: IRBB1 (Xa1), IRBB2 (Xa2), IRBB3 (Xa3), IRBB4 (Xa4), IRBB5 (xa5), IRBB7 (Xa7), IRBB8 (xa8), IRBB10 (Xa10), IRBB11 (Xa11), IRBB13 (xa13), IRBB14 (Xa14), IRBB21 (Xa21), IR24 (Xa18), IRBB50 (Xa4 + xa5), IRBB51 (Xa4 + xa13), IRBB52 (Xa4 + Xa21), IRBB53 (xa5 + xa13), IRBB54 (xa5 + Xa21), IRBB55 (xa13 + Xa21), IRBB56 (Xa4 + xa5 + xa13), IRBB57 (Xa4 + xa5 + Xa21), IRBB58 (Xa4 + xa13 + Xa21), IRBB59 (xa5 + xa13 + Xa21) and IRBB60 (Xa4 + xa5 + xa13 + Xa21). The results showed that most isolates were less virulent on lines with more than one genes pyramided than those with single resistance gene. The isolates tested were more virulent on IR24 and IRBB10, less virulent on IRBB5, IRBB7 and IRBB21. Based on interactions between isolates and rice near-isogenic lines, 7 cultivars with single gene (IRBB5, IRBB4, IRBB3, IRBB14, IRBB2, IRBB1 and IR24) were chosen as the differentials, and the tested isolates were classified into 7 virulence groups. The reaction patterns of the 7 groups in order were: RRRRRRR, RRRRRRS, RRRRRSS, RR/SRRSSS, RRRSSSS, RRSSSSS, RSSSSSS. The virulence frequencies were 7.69, 6.59, 14.29, 12.09, 14.29, 28.57 and 16.48% respectively. The elementary system for races identification has been established in China based on the results. It will be possible to compare with races in other countries, and the results will facilitate the development of rice resistance breeding to bacterial blight in China.
