Fusarium Wilt Management in Legume Crops

Legumes are among the most important crops worldwide for human and animal consumption. However, yield inconsistency due to susceptibility to pests and diseases strongly affects its production. Among diseases affecting legumes, Fusarium wilt caused by the soil-borne pathogen <i>Fusarium oxyspor...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ana Margarida Sampaio, Susana de Sousa Araújo, Diego Rubiales, Maria Carlota Vaz Patto
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-07-01
Series:Agronomy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/8/1073
Description
Summary:Legumes are among the most important crops worldwide for human and animal consumption. However, yield inconsistency due to susceptibility to pests and diseases strongly affects its production. Among diseases affecting legumes, Fusarium wilt caused by the soil-borne pathogen <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> Schltdl. (<i>Fo</i>) is one of the major factors limiting production worldwide. This disease can cause total losses in highly infested fields of some legume species. To minimize yield losses, integrated disease management strategies combining different agronomic practices with the use of resistant varieties should be applied. Although often characterized by a high degree of host specificity, with <i>formae speciales</i> (ff. spp.) and races identified, some <i>Fo</i> ff. spp. can have a broader host range, infecting more than one species, requiring further investigation. In this review, we describe the state of the art on legume Fusarium wilt management achievements, highlighting different aspects such as the use of rhizosphere microbiota as biocontrol agents, crop rotation and the use of resistant varieties. The different methods of identification and characterization of resistance sources, mechanisms as well as the genetic basis of resistance or the development of molecular tools to support legume precision breeding for <i>Fo</i> resistance are discussed.
ISSN:2073-4395