SEM STUDIESON RICE SOMACL ONAL VARIANT LEAVESINOCULATED WITH XANTHOMONAS ORYZAE DOWSON

The functional leaves of in vitro screened somaclonal variants (Jing 3037Rand Jing 105R) resistant to Xanthomonas oryzae were inoculated with X.oryzae strain Zhe173.The observation of the leaves after72 h inoculation by means of scanning electronic microscopy(SEM) showed that Jing 30 37Rand Jing 1 05Rhad far fewer bacterial numbers around the water pores than Jing 3037Sand Jing 105S. This resultsupported that the infection path of X.oryzae to rice leaves was through the water pores into the vascular tissues and also confirmed that in vitro screened somaclonal variants(Jing 3037Rand Jing 105R) had stable resistance in plantlet level to X.oryzae.