The climatic variation in recent times has added a new problem to the rice crop, where leaves and panicles are blighted and the grains remain unfilled. The Pantoea genus is linked to a novel rice disease that induces leaf and panicle blight, adversely affecting rice output and quality. Pantoea dispersa is a Gram-negative bacterium recognized for its extensive environmental adaptation and potential as a plant pathogen and an opportunistic human disease. This study aimed to identify the bacterial pathogen by the 16S rDNA gene, the growth requirement of the bacteria and the resistant cultivar source against the panicle blight disease of rice. The bacterial pathogen was isolated from the Bargarh district of Odisha, India and the isolate was named ODBP1 and identified based on morphological and biochemical characterization. The isolate was amplified in molecular Identification using the universal primer pair 27F and 1492R. Optimization of growth parameters for Pantoea dispersa strain ODBP1 was conducted on M9 minimal medium with various carbon and nitrogen sources added and maintained at different pH and storage conditions. Screening of rice varieties for resistance against Pantoea dispersa, causing panicle blight disease, was scored in 65 paddy cultivars with different durations. None of the varieties showed an immune reaction to Pantoea Blight; only resistant, moderately resistant, moderately susceptible, susceptible and highly susceptible disease reactions were recorded. The yield attributes of highly susceptible late maturing varieties were observed, with disease and disease incidence percentages of 88.72 % and 87.77 %, respectively. By investigating the specific growth requirements of P. dispersa and evaluating the resistance profiles of different rice cultivars, this study aims to bridge gaps in understanding pathogen behaviour and plant defence, contributing to effective integrated disease management strategies that support crop productivity and agricultural resilience.