An advanced molecular plant pathology laboratory was launched at the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) in Kottayam, Kerala.

Inaugurating the laboratory, KN Raghavan, Executive Director, Rubber Board, said timely control of diseases in rubber is important to prevent crop loss and increase the income of growers. The laboratory will help develop techniques for early detection of pathogens and efficient means to control diseases. 

Plant pathology is one of the earliest disciplines in focus at RRII, which began functioning in 1955. The new laboratory has advanced equipment such as a real-time PCR machine, high-speed centrifuge, and gel documentation system, among others.

Understanding molecular mechanism

In a time of changing climatic conditions, emerging new pathogens and/or races of pathogens can damage the growth and yield of rubber trees. Molecular plant pathology focuses on understanding the molecular mechanism of the host-pathogen interaction to help monitor pests and diseases. Research on identifying the genes involved in disease resistance can help develop genetically modified rubber trees.

Work is on to develop markers for disease tolerance and mapping quantitative trait loci for marker-assisted selection (MAS).

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MAS helps pick out samples with desirable traits from a large selection at the juvenile stage itself. Other studies include the molecular exploration of plant-beneficial microbe interplay, which helps in evolving cost-effective biological strategies for pest and disease control. Studies on the biotic etiology of tapping panel dryness (TPD) are also on to help control this major disorder in rubber trees, officials said.