Molecular Identification and RNA-Based Management of Fungal Plant Pathogens: From PCR to CRISPR/Cas9

TL;DR

This review explores how molecular tools and RNA-based strategies can improve the detection and control of fungal plant diseases in a sustainable way.

Contribution

The paper synthesizes current molecular identification tools and RNA-based strategies for fungal disease control and evaluates their integration.

Findings

Molecular identification tools like PCR and CRISPR/Cas9 enable rapid and precise detection of fungal pathogens.

RNA-based strategies such as gene silencing offer targeted control with fewer environmental impacts.

Integration of AI and multi-site trials can enhance real-time disease prediction and management.

Abstract

Fungal diseases continue to limit global crop production and drive major economic losses. Conventional diagnostic and control approaches depend on time-consuming culture-based methods and broad-spectrum chemicals, which offer limited precision. Advances in molecular identification have changed this landscape. PCR, qPCR, LAMP, sequencing and portable platforms enable rapid and species-level detection directly from plant tissue. These tools feed into RNA-based control strategies, where knowledge of pathogen genomes and sRNA exchange enables targeted suppression of essential fungal genes. Host-induced and spray-induced gene silencing provide selective control without the long-term environmental costs associated with chemical use. CRISPR/Cas9 based tools now refine both diagnostics and resistance development, and bioinformatics improves target gene selection. Rising integration of artificial intelligence indicates a future in which disease detection, prediction and management connect in near real time. The major challenge lies in limited field validation and the narrow range of fungal species with complete molecular datasets, yet coordinated multi-site trials and expansion of annotated genomic resources can enable wider implementation. The combined use of molecular diagnostics and RNA-based strategies marks a shift from disease reaction to disease prevention and moves crop protection towards a precise, sustainable and responsive management system. This review synthesizes the information related to current molecular identification tools and RNA-based management strategies, and evaluates how their integration supports precise and sustainable approaches for fungal disease control under diverse environmental settings.

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