Spraying rice panicles at flowering with either biocontrol strain reduced BPB severity by 41 percent to 50 percent and increased yield by 11 percent to 17 percent," [Zhou] said. "Treatment with the antibiotic oxalinic acid was the most effective, reducing BPB by 86 percent and increasing yield by 21 percent. Integrated use of the bacterial biocontrol agents with partially resistant varieties may provide practical solutions to minimize the damage caused by BPB.