Pathogen-informed breeding for crop disease resistance

Abstract

The development of durable and broad-spectrum resistance is an economical and eco-friendly approach to control crop diseases for sustainable agricultural production. Emerging knowledge of the molecular basis of pathogenesis and plant–pathogen interactions has contributed to the development of novel pathogen-informed breeding strategies beyond the limits imposed by conventional breeding. Here, we review the current status of pathogen-assisted resistance-related gene cloning. We also describe how pathogen effector proteins can be used to identify resistance resources and to inform cultivar deployment. Finally, we summarize the main approaches for pathogen-directed plant improvement, including transgenesis and genome editing. Thus, we describe the emerging role of pathogen-related studies in the breeding of disease-resistant varieties, and propose innovative pathogen-informed strategies for future applications.