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REVIEW article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Pathogen Interactions
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1559751
Unveiling the Underlying Complexities in Breeding for Disease Resistance in Crop Plants: Review
Provisionally accepted- Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India
Biotic stress significantly contributes to global crop losses, posing a major threat to food security and agricultural sustainability. While conventional plant breeding techniques have successfully enhanced crop resistance to pathogens, the perpetual emergence of new pathogens and the need to develop varieties with effective, stable, and broad-spectrum resistance in the shortest feasible time remain formidable challenges. The rapid delivery of these technologies to stakeholders further underscores the urgency for innovative approaches. This review delves into the complexities of breeding for disease resistance in crop plants, tracing its historical evolution and highlighting recent advancements in genetic and genomic technologies. These advancements have significantly deepened our understanding of host-pathogen interactions, enabling the identification of key genes and mechanisms governing resistance. We aim to offer insights into how historical perspectives and cutting-edge innovations can guide breeders in designing robust resistance strategies. Ultimately, this work seeks to empower breeders with actionable knowledge and tools to address the dynamic challenges posed by pathogens, paving the way for a more resilient and adaptable agricultural landscape.
Keywords: pathogen, Pathogenesis, plant breeding, plant disease, Resistance
Received: 13 Jan 2025; Accepted: 01 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 PATI, Sandhu, Kawadiwale and Kaur. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Surinder Sandhu, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.