Editorial: Research in the Identification and Control Methods of Rot Diseases in Plants

Mohammad Arif ^1* Quan Zeng ^2* Shefali Dobhal ^1*

• ¹ University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, United States
• ² Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, United States

tissues, resulting in water-soaked lesions and decaying tissue with foul odor (Charkowski et al, 2012;Hugouvieux-Cotte-Pattat et al, 2014;Charkowski, 2018;Arif et al, 2022).Managing rot diseases is particularly challenging due to the diversity of causal organisms, the influence of environmental factors, and the lack of effective chemical controls for some pathogens (Dowling et al, 2020;Arif et al, 2022;Ma et al, 2024). Cultural practices, breeding for disease resistance, and biological control agents are increasingly being integrated into management strategies to mitigate losses. Due to the ubiquitous nature and destructive potential of rot diseases, further research into pathogen biology, host resistance determinants, and integrated disease management methods is critical for sustainable crop production and food security.In this special issue, nine articles were published. Ma et al. in alternata from infected fruit samples and conducted morphological and molecular analyses to confirm its identity. They also evaluated the pathogenicity of the isolates on cherry fruits and assessed the production of mycotoxins. The findings revealed that A. alternata is a significant post-harvest pathogen of P. avium in China, capable of producing mycotoxins that pose a potential risk to human health. The study highlights the importance of monitoring and managing A. alternata infections to ensure the safety and quality of cherry fruits. In the article "Aabrm1- Research article "An efficient strategy combining immunoassays and molecular identification for the investigation of Fusarium infections in ear rot of maize in Guizhou Province, China" by Shang et al. conducted a comprehensive analysis of Fusarium species associated with maize ear rot. They collected 175 samples from 76 counties and employed immunoassays alongside molecular identification techniques to detect and identify the Fusarium species present. The study revealed a diverse population structure of Fusarium species in the region, providing valuable insights into the epidemiology of maize ear rot. These findings are important for developing targeted disease management strategies for Fusarium ear rot on maize in Guizhou Province.In conclusion, this special issue brings together a diverse collection of research articles that address critical aspects of rot-causing bacterial and fungal pathogens such as pathogenicity, taxonomy, pathogen identification, and the population genetics underlying pathogen diversity and evolution.Collectively, these contributions fill knowledge gaps, offering deeper insights into the mechanisms by which these pathogens infect crops and cause economically significant diseases. Improved knowledge in this area is vital for developing effective management strategies against soft rot diseases caused by bacteria and fungi, ultimately reducing agricultural losses associated with these devastating plant pathogens.• Boluk, G., Arizala, D., Dobhal, S., Zhang, J., Hu, J., Alvarez, A. M., et al. (2021). Genomic and phenotypic biology of novel strains of Dickeya zeae isolated from pineapple and taro in Hawaii: insights into genome plasticity, pathogenicity, and virulence determinants. Front. Plant Sci. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.663851• Charkowski, A. O. (2018). The changing face of bacterial soft-rot diseases. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol.,56,[269][270][271][272][273][274][275][276][277][278][279][280][281][282][283][284][285][286][287][288] • Charkowski, A., Blanco, C., Condemine, G., Expert, D., Franza, T., Hayes, C., et al. (2012).The role of secretion systems and small molecules in soft-rot Enterobacteriaceae pathogenicity.Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 50:425-449. doi:10.1146/annurev-phyto-081211-173013 • Dean, R., Van Kan, J.A.L., Pretorius, Z.A., et al. (2012). The Top 10 fungal pathogens in molecular plant pathology. Molecular Plant Pathology, 13(4), 414-430.• Dowling, M., Peres, N., Villani, S., and Schnabel, G. (2020). Managing Colletotrichum on fruit crops: a "complex" challenge. Plant Dis. 104, 2301-2316.• Hugouvieux-Cotte-Pattat, N., Condemine, G., and Shevchik, V. E. (2014). Bacterial pectate lyases, structural and functional diversity: Bacterial pectate lyases. Environ. Microbiol. 6, 427-440.• Klair, D., Silva, J., Arizala, D., Boluk, G., Dobhal, S., Ahmad, A. A., et al. (2021). First Report of Pectobacterium brasiliense causing soft rot on mizuna (Brassica rapa var. japonica) in the United States. Plant Dis.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-21-0644-PDN• Lindhout, P., Pet, G., & Meijer-Dekens, F. (2011). Breeding for resistance to fungal pathogens.Euphytica, 117(2), 205-222.• Ma, X., Zhang, X., Stodghill, P., Rioux, R., Shrestha, R., Babler, J., Rivedal, H., Frost, K., Hao, G., Secor, G., and Swingle, B. (2024). Analysis of soft rot Pectobacteriaceae population diversity in US potato growing regions between 2015 and 2022. Front. Microbiol. 15:1403121.• Mansfield, J., Genin, S., Magori, S., et al. (2012). Top 10 plant pathogenic bacteria in molecular plant pathology. Molecular Plant Pathology, 13(6), 614-629.• Sinha N, Patra SK and Ghosh S (2022) Secretome analysis of Macrophomina phaseolina identifies an array of putative virulence factors responsible for charcoal rot disease in Plants.Front. Microbiol. 13:847832. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.847832 • Williamson, B., Tudzynski, B., Tudzynski, P., and Van Kan, J. A. L. (2007). Botrytis cinerea: the cause of grey mould disease. Mol. 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