Difference Between Bacterial Leaf Blight and Bacterial Leaf Streak

The key difference between bacterial leaf blight and bacterial leaf streak is that bacterial leaf blight causes wilting of seedlings as well as yellowing and drying of leaves, while bacterial leaf streak causes small, water-soaked, thin, yellow to brown colour linear lesions on leaves.

Bacteria cause diseases in plants, especially in agricultural crops such as wheat, rice, corn, etc. Due to these bacterial diseases, farmers are unable to obtain the expected yield from their cultivations. When bacteria infect leaves and other plant parts, the photosynthetic capacity reduces, causing yield losses at the end. Bacterial leaf blight and bacterial leaf streak are two major diseases affecting rice and wheat. The disease symptoms are similar at initial stages but later, their symptoms differ, enabling the identification of the difference between bacterial leaf blight and bacterial leaf streak.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Bacterial Leaf Blight 
3. What is Bacterial Leaf Streak
4. Similarities Between Bacterial Leaf Blight and Bacterial Leaf Streak
5. Side by Side Comparison – Bacterial Leaf Blight vs Bacterial Leaf Streak in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Bacterial Leaf Blight?

Bacterial leaf blight is one of the serious bacterial diseases affecting rice and other crops. The causative agent of bacterial leaf blight is Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae in rice. This bacterium enters the plant through wounds or stomata. The symptoms of this disease are wilting of seedlings, yellowing and drying of leaves. When this bacterium infects at the early stages of the plants, it causes severe yield losses.

Bacterial leaf blight is transmitted through seeds. Furthermore, bacterial spores are dispersed through wind and rainwater. Planting resistant varieties are one of the best solutions for this disease. Apart from that, use of a balanced amount of fertilizers, keeping the fields clean, management of proper drainage, and, allowing fields to completely dry for some time are other preventive methods of bacterial leaf blight.

What is Bacterial Leaf Streak?

Bacterial leaf streak is another bacterial disease prevailing in rice and wheat. The causative agent of bacterial leaf streak in rice is Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola. On the other hand, the causative agent of bacterial leaf streak in wheat is Xanthomonas translucens pv. undulosa. The bacteria causes small thinner linear lesions on the leaves. Later, the lesions on leaves become brownish due to drying. Regionally, this disease can be seen in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia. Also, high temperature and high humidity often favour this disease.

Similar to bacterial leaf blight, bacterial leaf streak also can be controlled effectively by planting resistant varieties. Furthermore, hot water treatment of seeds, keeping the field clean, use of balanced amounts of fertilizers and ensuring good drainage in the fields are some of the other methods that can prevent this disease.

What are the Similarities Between Bacterial Leaf Blight and Bacterial Leaf Streak?

• Leaf blight and leaf streak are two plant diseases caused by bacteria.
• It is possible to prevent both diseases by planting resistant varieties, keeping fields clean, maintaining proper drainage, using balanced amounts of fertilizers, etc.
• Moreover, blight and streak symptoms look the same at the early stage of infection.
• Also, both diseases primarily affect leaves.
• Under severe conditions, both diseases cause high yield losses.

What is the Difference Between Bacterial Leaf Blight and Bacterial Leaf Streak?

Bacterial leaf blight is a plant disease that causes yellowing and drying of leaves and wilting of seedlings. Meanwhile, bacterial leaf streak is another plant disease that causes small linear, brown lesions on leaves. So, this is the key difference between bacterial leaf blight and bacterial leaf streak. In rice, the causative agent of bacterial leaf blight is Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, while the causative agent of bacterial leaf streak is Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola. Therefore, this is also a significant difference between bacterial leaf blight and bacterial leaf streak.

The below infographic summarizes more information on the difference between bacterial leaf blight and bacterial leaf streak.

Summary – Bacterial Leaf Blight vs Bacterial Leaf Streak

Bacterial leaf blight and bacterial leaf streak are two bacterial diseases in plants. Both diseases are common among the rice plants. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola causes bacterial blight and bacterial leaf streak in rice, respectively. Bacterial leaf blight causes wilting of seedlings and yellowing and drying of leaves. Meanwhile, bacterial leaf streak causes small linear lesions on leaves and vein margins. So, this is the key difference between bacterial leaf blight and bacterial leaf streak.

Reference:

1. “Bacterial Leaf Streak.” Bacterial Leaf Streak – IRRI Rice Knowledge Bank, Available here.
2. Yasmin, Sumera, et al. “Biocontrol of Bacterial Leaf Blight of Rice and Profiling of Secondary Metabolites Produced by Rhizospheric Pseudomonas Aeruginosa BRp3.” Frontiers in Microbiology, Frontiers Media S.A., 26 Sept. 2017, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Bacterial blight of rice” By Donald Groth – (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Life cycle of Bacterial Leaf Streak” By Donald Groth, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Bugwood.org –  (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia