Abstract:In the present study, the genetic diversity of the 60 Ustilaginoidea virens isolates, which were collected from 6 indica rice production regions in Sichuan Province, have been investigated with ERIC-PCR (enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction). Using the ERIC primers, the polymorphic bands ranging from 5 to 20 of each examined isolate were detected. According to cluster analysis of UPGMA, 11 clusters (L1 to L11) were formed based on the boundary level of 0.75 average distance; and clusters of L1, L4 and L5 were predominant groups and there also exist some subordinate and special groups. The results of similarity analysis indicated that the U.virens isolates collected from the similar regions possessed the considerable stability in DNA composition, while the isolates which collected from the different regions showed some regionalism in different degrees; and there exist low degree of correlation between rice varieties and genetic diversity of the different strains.