Plant diseases can cause severe damages to agricultural production. Timely and accurate identification of plant diseases is the basis and prerequisite for effective disease management. With the rapid development of information technology, the research and applications of plant disease identification by using image processing technology are increasing, which improves the levels of the monitoring and management of plant diseases and provides powerful supports for ensuring agricultural safety production. In this comprehensive review, the problems and challenges in the research and applications of plant disease image recognition were systematically discussed from the aspects of plant disease image recognition, disease image acquisition, disease image preprocessing, disease image segmentation, disease image feature extraction, disease image feature selection, disease image recognition models, and their practical applications. Simultaneously, the relevant solutions were proposed. Furthermore, the research and applications of plant disease image recognition in the future were prospected from the aspects including acquisition and management of plant disease images, key techniques for plant disease image recognition, and multi-platform plant disease image recognition. The aim of this review is to provide references for the research and applications of plant disease image recognition and to promote the development of plant protection informatization and smart phytoprotection.

Potato common scab is caused by Streptomyces spp. Potato common scab disease is widely distributed in potato producing areas of the world. For many years, common scab has hampered the potato industry, especially the developing of seed potatoes industry. In this paper, the occurrence of common scab, pathogen distribution, disease detection, pathogenic mechanism, cultivar resistance research and green prevention and control technology were reviewed, and the urgent problems in potato common scab research were put forward in order to provide new ideas for in-depth research and green prevention and control of potato common scab.

Utilizing disease resistance genes, particularly those encoding NLR (Nucleotide-binding, leucine-rich repeat receptor) proteins, offers the most cost-effective strategy for crop disease management. These genes have become a major research focus in plant pathology due to their frequent identification and broad application potential in breeding disease-resistant crops. Key advances in NLR research include: 1) the efficient cloning of NLR genes and their corresponding pathogen avirulence (Avr) genes; 2) mechanistic insights into NLR activation pathways, such as resistosome-mediated calcium signaling and TNL (TIR-NB-LRR)-dependent production of NAD⁺-derived signaling molecules; and 3) innovative applications in molecular engineering, including chimeric protein engineering, cross-species resistance transfer, and co-transfer of helper NLRs. This review summarizes these advances and highlights future research directions by integrating high-throughput sequencing, artificial intelligence-based structural prediction, and gene editing to decode calcium signaling mechanisms and immune homeostasis regulation in NLR networks, thereby facilitating the development of durable and broad-spectrum disease-resistant crop varieties.

Diseases caused by oomycetes pose a substantial risk to agricultural production, establishing this pathogen as a principal research and control focus within agroforestry. To explore the status quo and future direction of the field of oomycetes, we used the Web of Science as our data source and conducted a bibliometric analysis of oomycete-related literature from 1985 to 2023. Additionally, CiteSpace was employed to create a knowledge graph, providing a visual representation of the findings. The publication volume analysis indicates a predominant research presence in countries such as the United States, China and Germany. Notably, China has demonstrated remarkable growth over the last five years, ascending to global prominence in this field by 2022. In terms of institutional contributions, the US Department of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, and the University of California system emerge as leading entities, both in publication volume and the impactful nature of their research. The hotspot analysis delineates that the field predominantly investigates ten specific types, including the Pythium spp., Phytophthora infestans, Ph. capsici and so on. Key research themes include systemic acquired resistance, climate change impact, and antibacterial activities. Furthermore, cluster analysis of literature co-citation unveils several evolving significant research directions within the oomycete fields, represented by RXLR effectors, convergent evolution, and virulence factors. Moreover, a detailed examination of highly cited literature underscores the raising interest in factor pathogenic mechanisms of effector, prevention and control of disease, biological control and immune signal regulation . These works are beneficial for new researchers of oomycetes to quickly understand the current research status and cutting-edge hotspots in this field, and provide some reference for predicting potential research directions of oomycetes.

Potato Early Blight (PEB) is an important disease of the foliage of potatoes during the growing season and is widespread in all major potato producing areas worldwide. At present, there are no specific agents and potato varieties resistant to the disease completely. In this study, we identified the main cultivar ‘Cooperation-88’ (C88) in Yunnan Province was resistant to the potato early blight caused by Alternaria solani inoculated on leaves in comparison with the susceptible variety ‘Désirée’ by AUDPC. High-throughput RNA-seq in ‘Cooperation-88’ after infection at the early (A. so_e, 0-72 h), middle (A. so_m, 73-120 h) and late (A. so_l, >120 h) stages was performed on Illumina HiSeq PE150 platform. Transcriptome analysis revealed a total of 13 083 genes expressed differentially at A. so_e, of which 7 438 were up-regulated and 5 645 were down-regulated. At A. so_m, a total of 12 121 genes was differentially expressed, of which 3 299 were up-regulated and 8 822 were down-regulated. At A. so_l, a total of 10 530 genes was differentially expressed, of which 1 686 were up-regulated and 8 844 were down-regulated. A set of 2 720 identical genes was found in all the three periods, while 4 997 genes specific to A. so_e, 3 975 genes specific to A. so_m and 3 230 genes specific to A. so_l. Based on gene ontology (GO) term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis and qRT-PCR validation along with the results of electron microscopic observations, it was speculated that the increased synthesis of pectin lyase and cellulose synthetase was involved in cell wall remodeling of ‘C88’ in the early stage of A. solani infection. The expression levels of glutathione S-transferase and cytochrome P450 were significantly up-regulated in ‘C88’ at mid-infestation, which were involved in the detoxification pathway. Late synthesis of large amounts of antioxidants to stimulate defence mechanisms. In the three periods, high expression levels of transcription factors, such as bHLH, ZIP, MYB, ERF, etc, associated with disease resistance and extensive involvement in the ubiquitination pathway. Overall, our findings could provide a theoretical basis for research on the early blight resistance in potato and accelerate the resistance breeding.

Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinases (LRR-RLKs), a typical type of receptor-like kinase in plant, play important roles in response to pathogen infection. To clarify basic characteristics of the LRR-RLK family members in foxtail millet and their roles in resistance to infection by Sclerospora graminicola, members of this gene family in foxtail millet were identified, and their evolutionary pattern, sequence characteristics, gene structure, promoter sequence and expression pattern were analyzed by bioinformatics method. Meanwhile, the transcriptome data of resistant and susceptible foxtail millet varieties infected with S. graminicola were obtained at 3 different growth stages, and the co-expression modules of resistance gene and the core genes were identified via the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The results showed that the LRR-RLK genes were distributed on overall 9 chromosomes of foxtail millet. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted on LRR-RLK genes from foxtail millet and Arabidopsis, and the result indicated that they were mainly divided into 4 categories. Structural analysis displayed that their kinase domains were relatively conservative. The promoter regions of these LRR-RLK genes contained multiple cis-acting elements related to defense and stress responses as well as meristem expression, indicating their involvement in multiple biological processes. A co-expression network of resistance-related genes was developed by using WGCNA. Of 44 gene co-expression modules that were identified, 3 (Turquoise, Blue and Yellow) were specific modules associated with resistance to S. graminicola, from which 12 core genes were identified. Functional annotation showed that these genes were involved in plant disease resistance. Further RT-qPCR analysis of the 6 core genes (Seita.9G413000, Seita.9G296000, Seita.9G557200, Seita.9G493600, Seita.3G241700 and Seita.9G163200) confirmed that they were induced in response to S. graminicola infection, indicating that these core genes may play important roles in resistance to the pathogen infection. The results provide a valuable reference for further revealing the molecular mechanism underlying the resistance of foxtail millet to S. graminicola.

To identify the pathogen causing anthracnose disease on quinoa plants and investigate its biological characteristics, we collected diseased quinoa plants with typical anthracnose symptoms and conducted pathogen isolation and purification experiments. A representative strain LMTJ was obtained and determined as the pathogen of quinoa anthracnose by completing Koch′s postulates. Combined with morphological characteristics and the result of multi-gene phylogenetic analyses (ACT, CHS-1, GAPDH, ITS and TUB2), the pathogen was identified as Colletotrichum spinaciae. The suitable culture condition for mycelial growth of C. spinaciae LMTJ strain is that with starch as carbon source, peptone as nitrogen source, temperature at 20~25 ℃ and pH value of 6.0~7.0, while for sporulation is with sucrose as carbon source, sodium nitrate as nitrogen source, temperature at 20~25 ℃ and pH value of 6.0. To screen effective fungicides for the prevention and control of quinoa anthracnose, the toxicity of 5 fungicides to C. spinaciae LMTJ strain was tested. The results showed that all the tested fungicides could inhibit mycelial growth of LMTJ, of which 92.8% iprodione exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect, with EC₅₀ of 2.7654 mg·L^-1. The results provide scientific basis for the diagnosis and control of quinoa anthracnose.

Fusarium sacchari is one of the major pathogenic fungus that cause sugarcane pokkah boeng. In order to explore the function of metalloproteinase effector proteins in F. sacchari, we used the genomic data of F. sacchari to predict the secretory metalloproteinase proteins, and successfully amplified a zinc-type metalloproteinase effector protein gene Fs03538. The results showed that Fs03538 contained a typical ZnMc super family domain, and the 1-18 amino acid sequences at the N-terminal of the protein contain specific signal sequences. Subcellular localization showed that Fs03538 could be localized in the nucleus of Nicotiana benthamiana; qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression level of Fs03538 was induced and reached the highest peak at 12 h post F. sacchari infection. Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transient expression system confirmed that Fs03538 could inhibit the necrosis of tobacco cells induced by mouse Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX). As compared with the wild type F. sacchari strain CNO-1, the Fs03538 knock-out mutant showed no significant difference on mycelial growth and conidia production, but the pathogenicity on sugarcane was significantly decreased. Taken together, the results of the study suggest that Fs03538 is an important virulence factor of F. sacchari, which highly expressed at the time of infection and could inhibit the host immune responses by entering the host cell nucleus.

Purpureocillium lilacinum exhibits excellent biocontrol potential against various plant pathogenic nematodes. However, its field application is currently limited to conventional methods, such as root irrigation, broadcasting, and hole application, highlighting an urgent need to develop more efficient delivery systems. This study evaluated the compatibility of P. lilacinum strain 36-1 with 10 commercial water-soluble fertilizers (WSFs) through in vitro plate assays, pot experiments, and field trials, by examining fungal growth rate, conidiation capacity, spore viability, root colonization efficiency, and biocontrol efficacy against tomato root-knot nematode disease in an integrated water-fertilizer-biocontrol agent system. The results demonstrated that the four WSFs (Stanley, Lai Lv Shi, Alfam, and Miracle-Gro) exhibited relatively good compatibility with strain 36-1 within their commercially recommended concentration ranges. When these four WSFs were individually mixed with the fermentation filtrate of strain 36-1, they all enhanced the conidial survival rate and egg parasitism rate on Meloidogyne incognita of strain 36-1, without compromising its nematicidal activity. In tomato fields where root-knot nematode disease was severe (induced by artificial inoculation of M. incognita), the combined application of P. lilacinum strain 36-1 with Miracle-Gro (2.5 g·L^-1) or Lai Lv Shi (0.5 g·L^-1) under the integrated water-fertilizer-biocontrol agent system achieved control efficacies of 39.41% and 37.47% against root-knot nematodes, respectively. Although these values showed no significant difference (P<0.05) compared with the control efficacy of strain 36-1 applied alone, the tomato yield was increased by 34.64% and 28.44%, respectively. Therefore, integrating P. lilacinum into water-fertilizer systems can establish a simplified, eco-friendly water-fertilizer-biocontrol agent system to control crop nematode diseases.

Viral diseases in cucumber in Qudi are more and more serious in recent years. To detect and identify the main viruses, the plant samples of cucumber were collected from Qudi town, Jiyang district, and next-gene-ration sequencing technology (NGS), RT-PCR amplification and analysis of viral genome sequences were carried out. The results showed that the viruses infecting cucumber in the spring were cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) and watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV). Besides CGMMV and WSMoV, cucumber plants in the autumn were also infected with zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV). The detection rates of CGMMV, WSMoV and ZYMV by RT-PCR were 68.2%, 45.5% and 50.0%, respectively, and the detection rate of complex infection was 50%. Genetic sequence analysis revealed that the coat protein (CP) gene sequence of CGMMV [JY2-6 (GenBank accession number: OR591512) isolated in this study was similar to the sequence of CGMMV [SDRZ (GenBank accession number: KX185151)] isolated from cucumber in Rizhao, and the identity was 100%. The nucleocapsid (N) gene sequence of WSMoV [JY2-4 (GenBank accession number: OR591517) isolated in this study was similar to the sequence of WSMoV [W6412 (GenBank accession number: AM113765)] isolated from watermelon in Thailand, and the identity was 99.1%. The CP gene sequence of ZYMV [JY2-7 (GenBank accession number: OR591522) isolated in this study was similar to the sequence of ZYMV [Yaz.Ashk.S.Z (GenBank accession number: KX495623)] isolated from cucumber in Iran, and the identity was 97%. This study demonstrated that the cucumber in Qudi was mainly infected by CGMMV, WSMoV and ZYMV, and complex infection was also common. This study provided a basis for virus prevention of cucumber in Qudi.

In this study, the fungal strain LD-11 was isolated from the infected plant of Lonicera caerulea (cv Lanjingling) collected in the horticulture experimental station of Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. The strain was identified as Epicoccum nigrum by morphology, rDNA-ITS, LSU, TUB, RPB2 gene sequence amplification and phylogenetic tree construction. The experimental results showed that E. nigrum LD-11 could grow on PDA, OA and MEA medium. The optimal culture medium was OA, and the optimal culture conditions were growth temperature of 25 ℃, pH 6, carbon source is starch and nitrogen source is yeast extract, and full light conditions were conducive to mycelial growth. This study is the first time to isolate and identify E. nigrum, the pathogen of leaf spot disease in L. caerulea, which will provide an important source of pathogenic fungi for future research on control of plant disease.

Plants and pathogens have developed a highly complex interactive relationship through long-term co-evolution, fundamentally driven by a molecular arms race between pathogen effectors and the plant immune system. Plants activate multilayered defense responses through their innate immune system to combat pathogen infection, while pathogens in turn have evolved diverse effectors that precisely target critical immune signaling nodes. These effectors not only interfere with fundamental immune pathways including PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI) but also modulate defense networks like plant hormone signaling and reactive oxygen species metabolism. More critically, pathogen effectors achieve systemic reprogramming of the host transcriptional network through strategies such as directly regulating host gene expression, targeting key transcriptional regulatory elements, manipulating epigenetic modifications, and post-transcriptional modifications, thereby facilitating immune evasion and pathogenic infection. Recently, there have been significant advances in understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of pathogen-mediated manipulation of plant immune responses. This review systematically examines the molecular mechanisms by which pathogen effectors regulate host immune responses through interfering with defense signaling pathways and reprogramming the host transcriptome. We also explore the application of these findings in developing disease-resistant materials, providing a theoretical foundation for elucidating plant-pathogen interactions and advancing disease-resistant crop breeding.

Peach shoot blight caused by Diaporthe amygdali (anamorph Phomosis amygdali) is a significant fungal disease in major peach-producing regions of southern China, which has severely hindered the development of peach industry and resulted in substantial economic losses for peach farmers. This paper presents a comprehensive review on its historical occurrence, distribution, damage, as well as biological characteristics of the causing pathogen, pathogen detection, disease cycle, and integrated prevention and control strategies for the disease. Furthermore, potential issues are analyzed and directions for future research are proposed. The review provides a reference for further studies on peach shoot blight.

Rhodococcus fascians is a gram-positive actinomycete that can cause plant diseases with a very wide host range. The pathogenic strains of Rhodococcus fascians make abnormal plant tissues form, such as leaf gall, cluster, flat stem, which affects plant growth and causes serious economic losses. As the identification and classification of the genus Rhodococcus were complex and is often confused with other plant diseases with similar symptoms, resulting in few studies being carried out. This review outlines the classification status, biological characteristics, pathogenic mechanisms, disease symptoms, isolation and identification methods, transmission routes of infection and prevention and control measures of R. fascians. It is expected to provide a reference for related research and precise prevention and control of leafy gall disease caused by R. fascians.

Bacteria from the genus of Pectobacterium are the important plant pathogens causing significant economic losses worldwide, and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains further exacerbates the challenges in Pectobacterium-caused disease prevention and control.This study used Pectobacteriums isolated from different host plants as materials and used plate analysis to obtain streptomycin-resistant strains formed in the wild. Clarify its taxonomic status through genome sequencing and comparative genome research, and streptomycin resistance genes were predicted. The results shown that among the eight strains isolated from different hosts, NJAU2 obtained from Yunnan yellow-flowered calla lily disease strains is highly resistant to streptomycin. NJAU2 genome was 5 062 459 bp in length, with G+C content of 51.83% and N50 length of 306 378 bp, containing 4 568 protein-coding genes. NJAU2 clusters on the same branch as the type strain P. aroidearum SCRI 109^T and the reported strain P. aroidearum PC1 based on the Multi-Locus Sequence Analysis results of 8 housekeeping genes (fliA, fusA, glyA, gyrB, purA, rpoA, rpoS, secY). This result is consistent with the phylogenetic relationship constructed based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence. Furthermore, the Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) and DNA-DNA Hybridization (isDDH) analysis with various Pectobacterium strains also support this classification. Therefore, the naturally occurring streptomycin-resistant strain NJAU2 is classified as a new species within the Pectobacterium genus: Pectobacterium aroidearum, and named Pectobacterium aroidearum NJAU2. P. aroidearum NJAU2 carrying sets of genes encoding proteins for streptomycin-resistanc in its genome. Comparison with the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) identified 328 genes belonging seven types of drug resistance mechanisms. Moreover, in NJAU2 genome, 15 genes were annotated encoding aminoglycoside antibiotic resistance, including rpsL and gidB that are related to streptomycin resistance. The discovery of P. aroidearum NJAU2 provides new material for research in the direction of streptomycin resistance in Pectobacterium spp..

Rice is an important grain crop in the world. Although some genes that confer resistance to rice blast and bacterial blight, two important diseases threatening rice production, have been identified in rice plants, the corresponding resistance gene resources remain scarce. In this study, we found that the transcription factor OsEIL4 is involved in regulating rice resistance to these two rice diseases. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays showed that the expression of OsEIL4 was markedly induced upon Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae) or Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) infection. Moreover, compared with wild-type rice plants, Oseil4 (CRISPR/Cas9-based OsEIL4 knockout) and OsEIL4-RNAi rice lines were more susceptible, while OsEIL4-OX (overexpression) plants were more resistant to M. oryzae and Xoo. Further qPCR analysis of the transcript levels of the marker genes of ethylene pathway and defense-related genes OsPR1a and OsPR5 exhibited that they were downregulated in Oseil4 lines but upregulated in OsEIL4-OX lines, suggesting that OsEIL4, which functions as a positive regulator in ethylene pathway, mediates rice resistance by modulating PR genes expression. Subcellular localization and yeast-one-hybrid assay results confirmed that OsEIL4 has transcriptional activity, indicating that it may regulate rice disease resistance by exercising transcriptional regulatory function. This study explores a gene resource with broad-spectrum resistance, providing a new possibility for molecular breeding of rice disease resistance.

Fusarium solani, known for its extensive host range, is the causal agent of the destructive root rot disease in agriculture production. Secreted proteins play important roles in the infection of host plants by phytopathogenic fungi. To identify the secreted proteins and effectors in F. solani, we performed an in-depth analysis of the F. solani genome in this study. Among the total 17654 genomic proteins, 1032 proteins were predicted to be the candidate secreted proteins by using SignalP, TMHMM, WoLF PSORT and PredGPI softwares, accounting for 5.85% of the total proteins in F. solani. Among them, 258 proteins were predicated to be carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) by using the dbCAN3 software, with the glycoside hydrolase family being the most abundant. Furthermore, 185 secreted proteins were predicated to be candidate effectors, with 183 sequences being annotated in the PHI database. By employing a virus-based transient expression system, we investigated the effect of the 5 candidate effectors annotated for increased virulence on BAX-triggered programmed cell death, and the result showed that the two effectors (XP_046140852.1 and XP_046131041.1) could suppress BAX-triggered programmed cell death in N. benthamiana. These findings provide not only an important reference for further analysis of the pathogenic molecular mechanism of F. solani but also a theoretical basis for understanding the interactions between F. solani and host plants.

Anthracnose is a common worldwide fungal disease in soybean production, seriously affecting the commercial value of soybean pods as well as seed yield and vigour. In this study, four fungal strains (XZ-1-XZ-4) were isolated from the stalk of a diseased soybean plant within soybean-producing regions of Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, using tissue isolation and single spore purification methods. According to morphological chara-cteristics and ITS-TUB2-based phylogenetic analysis results, XZ-1 and XZ-2 were identified as Colletotrichum truncatum, XZ-3 and XZ-4 were identified as Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium equiseti, respectively. Pathogenicity test results showed that all the four fungi were pathogenic, indicating a complex infection of soybean plants by Colletotrichum and Fusarium phytopathogens in the field. Furthermore, the resistance of 56 soybean varieties/lines to C. truncatum strain XZ-1 was evaluated by using two different inoculation methods (i.e., inoculation of fresh soybean pod with mycelial suspension, inoculation of etiolated hypocotyl with mycelial plug). It was showed that disease indexes obtained by the two inoculation methods were slightly different, but the resistance grades were almost the same, with a match rate of 92.9%. Of these 56 soybean varieties/lines tested, 3 were identified as resistant and 19 moderately resistant; No highly resistant varieties were found, and only 39.3% of the varieties were resistant to soybean anthracnose. This study combines the results of the above two inoculation methods to rapidly and accurately identify the resistance level of soybean varieties (lines) to anthracnose, laying a foundation for screening and utilizing resistant soybean germplasms, and for identifying anthracnose-resistant genes in soybean.

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) has been spreading rapidly in tomato-producing areas around the world in recent years, causing severe economic losses. Symptoms of suspected ToBRFV infection appeared on tomatoes in Jianshui, Yunnan Province, and caused harm to the surrounding tomato production areas. In this study, the tomato samples suspected of being infected with ToBRFV in the Yunnan Jianshui field were identified by electron microscopy and RT-PCR. RT-PCR amplified the whole genome sequence of the virus, and the phylogenetic tree was constructed to analyze the evolutionary relationship of the viruses. The results showed that the rod-shaped virions, about 18 nm × 300 nm, with the typical structural characteristics of Tobamovirus, were found in the diseased tomato fruits.The target segment of 591 bp was amplified by RT-PCR using ToBRFV-specific detection primers.The Blast result in NCBI showed that this segment shared the highest identity (more than 99.00%) with the ToBRFV. We named this ToBRFV isolate as ToBRFV-2022-JS (GenBank accession number:OR593752). Sequencing result revealed that the complete sequence of ToBRFV-2022-JS was 6 386 nt, with four ORFs encoding the 126 kDa and 183 kDa replicates, the 30 kDa movement protein (MP), and the 17.5 kDa capsid protein (CP), respectively. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that this isolate was the closest relative to ToBRFV Yinchuan isolate (GenBank accession number: OR500698.1), with 99.73% nucleotide sequence identity. The above results indicated that tomato fruits in Jianshui, Yunnan were infected with ToBRFV. The results provide a basis for the monitoring, prevention, and control of ToBRFV in tomato production areas in Yunnan.

Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV)-caused sugar beet rhizomania is the most important viral disease in sugar beet, severely affecting beet yield and sugar content. BNYVV is persistently transmitted by Polymyxa betae, a root-specific parasitic plasmodiophorid. The resting spores of Polymyxa betae can survive in soil for long periods of time. Thus, the viral disease is difficult to be eradicated once it occurs. Currently, plan-ting resistant varieties is the only way to reduce losses caused by the disease. In recent years, the large-scale planting of single resistant varieties leads to emergence of resistance-breaking BNYVV isolates in sugar beet producing areas worldwide, including Xinjiang and Heilongjiang in China. These virus strains have broken the antiviral activity of the resistance varieties, leading to more severe rhizomania. This paper reviews the research overview of sugar beet rhizomania, focuses on recent research progress on BNYVV-plant-vector interactions, and prospects future research directions for urgent breakthroughs.

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a typical airborne disease that poses a serious threat to wheat production. Understanding the inoculum sources and migration pathways of stripe rust is of great significance for formulating effective disease management strategies. This review systematically summarizes the progress made over the past 70 years by 4 generations of rust researchers in identifying the sources and migration pathways through field surveys, population genetic analyses, and air trajectory simulations. An integrated research framework is proposed, emphasizing field investigation as the foundation, population genetics as the core, and air trajectory simulations as a means of validation. The review also discusses the potential to refine and adjust these routes through the integration of emerging technologies, and proposes a shift from qualitative to quantitative research, thereby contributing to the development of sustainable disease management strategies.

Rice viruses pose a significant threat to global rice production, and their pathogenic mechanisms involve intricate interactions between the viruses and host plants. During pathogenesis, rice viruses employ diverse strategies to manipulate host cellular processes and promote viral infection and replication. Emerging research has uncovered common mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of different rice viruses, suggesting the existence of potentially conserved targets for antiviral interference. This review summarizes recent global advances in rice virus research, systematically elucidating the distinct pathogenic mechanisms among various rice viruses while highlighting conserved molecular strategies shared by viral pathogenicity factors. The insights presented aim to facilitate the development of broad-spectrum antiviral rice breeding and effective disease management strategies. In addition, future research directions for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of rice virus pathogenesis are outlined.

Colletotrichum higginsianum is the major pathogen of anthracnose in cruciferous plants, which can severely damage the production of Chinese flowering cabbage (Brassica parachinensis) in south China. Scytalone dehydratase (Scd) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of DHN-melanin that can affect pathogenicity by mediated DHN-melanin biosynthesis in many plant pathogenic fungi. In this study, we identified a conserved scytalone dehydratase ChScd in C. higginsianum. The expression of gene ChSCD was analysed by using RT-qPCR technology, and it was found that the expression level of this gene was significantly up-regulated during the melanization of the hyphae and appressoria of C. higginsianum. Meanwhile, in order to analyse the biological function of the gene ChSCD, the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation technology was used to construct knockout and complementation mutant strains of the gene ChSCD. The results showed that the knockout of gene ChSCD blocked the biosynthesis of DHN-melanin in C. higginsianum, resulting in the loss of the melanization ability in both hyphae and appressoria, and leading to the significantly reduced in tolerance to cell wall interfering substances and oxidative stresses, the appressorium formation rate, turgor pressure, and pathogenicity of the ChscdΔ mutants. In summary, ChScd plays a crucial role in the biosynthesis of DHN melanin in C. higginsianum, which in turn affects the stress resistance, the formation rate of appressorium, turgor pressure, and the pathogenicity of the pathogen.

Cucumber seedling damping-off caused by Pythium aphidermatum is one of the main soil-borne diseases seriously affecting the survival of cucumber seedlings. With the expansion of eggplant cultivation area in greenhouse, the occurrence and damages of the disease are increasing year by year. In this study, a bacterial strain ZF514, capable of producing volatile substance with antagonistic effect against P. aphidermatum, was isolated from rhizosphere soil of healthy cucumber plants in Hangzhou, China. According to morphological cha-racteristics, physiological and biochemical properties, and multi-gene (16S rDNA-gyrA-rpoB) phylogenetic analysis, strain ZF514 was identified as Bacillus velezensis. Strain ZF514 also exhibited significant antagonistic effects on the 5 common phytopathogenic fungi by dual culture on two-section of a Petri dish. The results of pot experiments showed that simulated fumigation treatment of soil with strain ZF514 significantly reduced disease incidence of cucumber seedling damping-off, and the control effect reached 63.69%. In summary, the volatile substance-producing B. velezensis strain ZF514 has potential to be explored as an environment-friendly microbial fumigant against soil-borne diseases.

Rice blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae, is a major biological constraint to rice production in China. It frequently causes outbreaks and epidemics across all rice-growing regions, posing a serious threat to high and stable yields. This study reviews the following aspects concerning rice blast: its occurrence and damage, the biology of P. oryzae and sources of infection, chemical agents for blast control, pathogenesis of P. oryzae and development of targets for green fungicides, avirulence genes of P. oryzae and major blast resistance genes in rice, mechanisms underlying rice blast resistance, and challenges in evaluating blast resistance in rice varieties. Furthermore, it outlines future research priorities for the green prevention and control of rice blast, aimed at enhancing sustainable management strategies for this disease in China.

Tobacco black shank, caused by Phytophthora parasitica var. nicotianae, is a devastating soil-borne disease that severely impacts tobacco production. In this study, over 16 000 microbial strains were isolated from tobacco rhizosphere soils collected across eight counties (districts) in Yuxi City, Yunnan Province using the dilution plate method. Through the plate confrontation assay, seven strains exhibiting significant antagonistic activity against P. parasitica var. nicotianae were selected. Pot experiments demonstrated that all seven antagonistic strains could effectively control tobacco black shank, with strain CJ-S-5292 showing the highest control efficacy of 75.79% and exhibiting excellent root colonization capability. Based on morphological characteristics, Physiological and biochemical properties, and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequences, CJ-S-5292 was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Further investigations revealed that CJ-S-5292 not only significantly inhibited mycelial growth of P. parasitica var. nicotianae but also induced morphological abnormalities including increased branching and fragmentation of hyphae. The cell-free fermentation supernatant of CJ-S-5292 also showed remarkable inhibitory effects on pathogen growth. Comparative studies of application methods indicated that root irrigation (72.22% control efficiency) and combined treatment (75.91%) were significantly more effective than foliar spraying (42.59%). Field trials further confirmed that root irrigation with CJ-S-5292 achieved 66.62% disease control efficiency, comparable to conventional chemical fungicides. This study demonstrates that B. amyloliquefaciens CJ-S-5292 possesses outstanding biocontrol potential, providing a high-quality microbial resource for the green control of tobacco black shank disease.

Anthracnose is one of the most important fungal diseases that pose significant threat to the production of Yunnan red pear cultivar ‘Caiyunhong’. The disease mainly causes fruit rot, resulting in a disease incidence of more than 35% in normal conditions. The causal agent was identified as Colletotrichum fructicola based on the morphological characteristics, phylogenetic relationship inferred from ITS, ACT, TUB and CHS sequences, and the result of pathogenicity test. This is the first report of C. Fructicola causing anthracnose on ‘Caiyunhong’ fruit in China, which provides a theoretical basis for effective prevention and control of the disease.

To investigate the occurrence of gummy stem blight (GSB) on Trichosanthes kirilowii and the causing pathogen of the disease, and to screen effective plant-derived antimicrobial agents, we collected the plants with symptoms of GSB at T. kirilowii-planting regions in Qianshan City, Anhui Province, and conducted pathogen isolation and purification experiments. Based on morphological characteristics and the result of molecular identification, the isolates were identified as Stagonosporopsis caricae. Meanwhile, the inhibitory effects of 20 Chinese herbal medicine extracts against S. caricae were determined, and over 90% inhibition rate was obtained when ethanol extract from Cnidii Fructus (CF) or Macleaya Fructus (MF) was used at a concentration of 15 mg·mL^-1, while over 80% inhibition rate for Sophorae Flavescentis Radix (SFR) or Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix (PCRR) extract. Further tests showed that both CF and SFR extracts showed significant inhibitory effect on mycelial growth of S. caricae, with EC₅₀ values of 0.1648-0.5289 and 0.7347-0.8332 mg·mL^-1, respectively. This study provides a theoretical basis for the environment-friendly control of GSB on T. kirilowii.

Clubroot caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae has been a major threat to the production of crucife-rous vegetables, screening and identifying antagonistic bacteria with potential application is therefore most important for the bio-control of the disease. In this study, endophytic bacteria were isolated from root tissues of healthy Chinese cabbage in the field where clubroot disease occurred seriously. Using Phytophthora capsici as an indicator, a bacterial strain JP2 with biocontrol effect on Chinese cabbage clubroot was obtained by both dual-culture test and pot experiment in greenhouse. Combined with morphological characteristics, physiological and biochemical properties, and 16S rDNA-based phylogenetic analysis, the strain JP2 was identified as Pseudomonas brassicacearum. The fermentation broth of JP2 (culturing for 48 h) displayed a chitinase activity of 0.034 U·mL^-1, cellulose decomposition capacity (H value) of 1.89, and siderophore activity of 57.24%. Fluorescein siderophore (PVD)- and 2, 4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG)-synthesizing genes were identified in the genome of strain JP2. In addition, JP2 exhibited good antagonistic effects on the six common phytopathogenic fungi, indicating its broad inhibitory spectrum against plant fungal diseases. The crude extract of JP2 showed good lethal effect on resting spores of P. brassicae, with a mortality rate of 44.44%. At 30 d post-inoculation, the colonization density of JP2 in the rhizosphere soil of Chinese cabbage remained at 3.03×10² CFU·g^-1, significantly reducing the number of resting spores of P. brassicae in the soil. The control effect of JP2 on P. brassicae in pot experiment was 58.83 %. These results indicate that JP2 strain has good biocontrol potential against Chinese cabbage clubroot.

A leaf spot of Polygonatum kingianum was found in Jianxing Town, Xinping County, Yunnan Province. Leaf infections first appeared as small, pale brown spots with a yellow haloes. The spots extended or coalesced into larger lesions, causing the entire leaf to be necrotic. The pathogen causing this disease was isolated, and its pathogenicity was tested according to the Koch' s postulates. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of combined the rDNA 18S and ITS regions as well as beta-tubulin (TUB) gene sequences, the isolate DYB-2 was identified as Neopestalotiopsis acrostichi. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. acrostichi causing the leaf spot on Polygonatum kingianum in the world.

The development of plant diseases is not solely driven by plant-pathogen interactions but also arises from complex networks involving plants, pathogens, and microbiota, with microbe-microbe interactions playing a critical role. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing and microbe-microbe interaction studies have highlighted the capacity of pathogens to reshape plant microbiome composition, influencing microbial diversity and revealing the function of the core microbiota under diseased conditions. During disease progression, microbial interactions, such as resource competition, contact-dependent interaction, and chemical signal interference, can either facilitate or suppress pathogen colonization and virulence. This review synthesizes current knowledge on microbiome structural dynamics during plant disease, examines the competitive and cooperative interactions between microbiota members and pathogens, and outlines promising future directions such as the strategic use of biocontrol agents and the exploration of biocontrol agent-pathogen and biocontrol agent-microbiome interactions. These insights provide a conceptual framework for improving plant disease management and designing microbiomes that promote plant health.

A wide variety of microorganisms inhabit the surfaces and interiors of the plants. These microorganisms and their functional substances are collectively referred to as the plant microbiome, which has an impact on a series of basic life activities of plants, such as nutrient acquisition, immune regulation, and stress tolerance. This article focuses on the latest research progress of the plant microbiome, elaborating on the formation rules of the plant microbiota and its regulatory mechanisms on host phenotypes, and deeply exploring the applications of the plant microbiome in disease control. Moreover, in view of the controversial points regarding the role of the plant microbiota in triggering or exacerbating diseases, this article further discusses the emerging research paradigm of the pathobiome, as well as its action mechanisms and driving factors. In the future, through the cross integration of artificial intelligence, multi-omics technologies, and classical plant pathology research techniques, the formation mechanisms of the symbiotic state and pathogenic state of the plant microbiome will be deeply revealed. This will lay an important theoretical foundation for accurately exploring and utilizing the beneficial traits of the plant microbiome, establishing an efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly plant disease control system, and promoting sustainable agricultural development.

Powdery mildew of rubber tree caused by Oidium heveae is one of the major foliar diseases that affect rubber production, resulting in extensive leaf shedding and significant reduction in latex production. Breeding and planting O. heveae-resistant rubber varieties is the most economic and effective measure for the prevention and control of the disease. Identification of resistant proteins in rubber trees and investigation of the corresponding regulatory networks are therefore of great significance in unraveling the mechanism underlying the resistance response of rubber tree to powdery mildew. In this study, total RNA was extracted from mature rubber leaves (leaves sampled at 48 hpi : leaves sampled at 0 dpi=2:1) inoculated with Oidium heveae HO-1 using the Trizol method. A cDNA library of rubber tree leaves infected with powdery mildew was subsequently constructed using the Gateway technology. The primary library was recombined with pGADT7-DEST and pPR3-N-DEST secondary library vectors through LR recombination, resulting in the construction of hybrid secondary libraries for membrane system and nuclear system yeast, respectively. Both libraries have a capacity of more than 1.0×10^-7 CFU, with a recombination rate of 100%. The length of inserted fragments ranges from 0.1 to 2.0 kb, with an average length of 1.5 kb. Meanwhile, bait vector containing the full-length coding region or the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain of the disease-resistant protein HbCNL2 was generated and used as a bait to screen for interacting proteins in the yeast library, and as a result, 7 potentially interacting proteins were obtained. Further yeast two-hybrid point-to-point validation confirmed the interaction between HbKLCR1 or HbGAIP and the LRR domain of HbCNL2. GO (Gene Ontology) annotation analysis demonstrated that HbKLCR1 has protein binding activity and HbGAIP is involved in the gibberellin signaling pathway, suggesting their potential roles in disease resistance responses of rubber trees. These results indicate that the cDNA library constructed in this study has high quality and good integrity, which provides important technical support for the identification of O. heveae-resistant rubber proteins and unraveling the protein interaction networks.

Fludioxonil is the main fungicide used for the prevention and control of vegetable gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. To determine the resistance status of B. cinerea to fludioxonil in Shanxi Province, 312 B. cinerea isolates were obtained from Shanxi Province and their resistance level to fludioxonil was investigated by using the hyphal growth rate method. The mutation sites in the Bos1 gene and biological phenotypes of fludioxonil-resistant B. cinerea isolates, and the cross-resistance between fludioxonil and the other 4 fungicides (pyraclostrobin, difenoconazole, pyrimethanil and prochloraz) in these resistant isolates were studied. The results showed that the resistance frequency of the tested B. cinerea isolates to fludioxonil was 7.37%, with the resistance level mainly in a low and medium level, and only 2 isolates showing high resistance to fludioxonil were found. All the resistant isolates had mutation in Bos1 gene, mainly in the TAR, HAMP and REC domains, with resistance types of F127S, V287G, I365N, I365S, Q369P+N373S, V1136I and A1259T. Additionally, it was found that the hyphal growth rate, sclerotium production, sporulation capacity and pathogenicity of the resistant isolates were lower than those of the susceptible isolates, indicating compromised fitness. There was no cross-resistance between fludioxonil and the 4 tested fungicides, and fludioxonil can therefore be used to control grey mold in rotation or in combination with these fungicides. This study provides a theoretical basis for rational utilization of fungicides in chemical control of grey mold disease.

Polygonatum kingianum Coll. et Hemsl., a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the family Liliaceae, has special medicinal and dietary values. Rhizome rot, usually leading to the decrease of yield and quality, is a frequently occurred disease on P. kingianum in Yunnan Province. In this study, diseased P. kingianum samples with typical symptoms of rhizome rot were collected, and a representative fungal strain 19-1 was obtained by tissue isolation and single spore purification. The pathogenicity of strain 19-1 to P. kingianum was tested and confirmed by irrigating inoculation of plant seedlings with spore suspension (1×10⁶ spores·mL^-1). According to morphological characteristics and multigene-based phylogenetic analysis results, strain 19-1 was identified as Fusarium concentricum. This is the first report of F. concentricum causing rhizome rot on P. kingianum. Our results provide a theoretical basis for further investigation of the epidemiology and integrated control of the disease.

Botrytis cinerea, a phytopathogenic fungi with a wide host range, can cause gray mold disease in many important crops. During infection of plant, B. cinerea secretes numerous cell death-inducing proteins (CDIPs) to induce host cell death, which as a result promotes its infection. In this study, we analyzed the secreted proteome during the infection stage of B. cinerea and identified a secreted protein BcXYG3, which contains GH12 and fCBD domains. Transiently expression of BcXYG3 rather than BcXYG3^Δsp (BcXYG3 without a signal peptide) in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves could induce cell death, suggesting that BcXYG3 possibly functions in plant cell apoplastic space. The expression of BcXYG3 was upregulated during the infection stage of B. cinerea. However, deletion or over-expression of BcXYG3 did not significantly affect the pathogenicity, growth rate, conidial production, and some stress tolerance of the pathogen. In addition, infiltration of purified BcXYG3 into N. benthamiana leaves could trigger plant resistance and the expression of defense-related genes. In conclusion, the secreted protein BcXYG3 of B. cinerea can trigger cell necrosis and resistance in plant, playing significant roles in the interaction between B. cinerea and host plant. The result is helpful for clarifying the mechanism underlying B. cinerea-plant interaction and provides theoretical basis and genetic resource for breeding of resistant crop varieties against gray mold disease.

Morinda officinalis is a Chinese traditional herbal medicine in the family Rubiaceae. From April to June 2023, the southern blight disease occurred seriously on M. officinalis in Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, China. The white mycelia and sclerotia of the pathogen were initially observed at the stem-soil interface of diseased seedlings, and gradually spread to neighboring plants, which resulted in the death of patches of plants. Fungal strains with same morphological characteristics were obtained from the diseased samples by using the tissue isolation method. Based on morphological characteristics, ribosomal large subunit (LSU) sequences and pathogenicity test, the representative fungal strains were identified as Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. To our knowledge, this is the first report of S. rolfsii causing southern blight on M. officinalis, which provides important information on the pathogen for disease management.