Evaluation and selection of elite plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria for suppression of sheath blight of rice caused by rhizoctonia solani in a detached leaf bio-assay.

Sheath blight (ShB) of rice, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is one of the most important rice diseases worldwide. The objective of this study was to screen selected plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains for suppression of ShB under controlled conditions. Sclerotia of R. solani were produced on PDA and immature sclerotia (< 5-day-old) were harvested. Leaves of 60-day-old rice plants grown under greenhouse conditions were used to screen PGPR strains by detached leaf assay. Leaf sections of 8 cm in length were cut and placed in Petri dishes, inoculated with immature sclerotia, and incubated in a growth chamber. Approximately 70 PGPR strains were screened. The disease was quantified by the Relative Lesion Height (RLH) method. Among 70 strains, 31 significantly suppressed the RLH of ShB lesions compared to the control. Among these, Bacillus subtilis strain MBI 600 resulted in greatest suppression of ShB disease severity under the conditions tested.

Chronic renal failure in Jamaican children

In order to document the incidence, aetiology and outcome of chronic renal failure in Jamaican children, paediatric surgeons and hospital based paediatricians island-wide were contacted, and the nephrology records at the island's paediatric nephrology centres searched for data on children < 12-year-old with chronic renal failure diagnosed for the first time between January 1985 and December 2000. Thirty-four children were identified, 21 were male. The cumulative annual incidence of chronic renal failure was 3.2 per million children aged < 12 years. The incidence is likely underestimated, as some children may have been undiagnosed and/or not referred. Glomerulonephritis was the commonest cause of chronic renal failure (50) followed by obstructive uropathy, reflux nephropathy, renal dysplasia and chronic pyelonephritis (41.2). Five children (14.7) had reflux nephropathy (post obstructive in four). Half the children were already in chronic renal failure at time of presentation. Mortality was 65. In Jamaica, childhood chronic renal failure is due mainly to potentially treatable diseases. Local physicians should be more aware of potentially progressive renal diseases and their prevention. Earlier referral of difficult cases for nephrological consultation is recommended. A paediatric dialysis/transplant programme is needed