Biological host response: A paradigm and strategy to overcome biotic stress caused by powdery mildew causal agents in plants

Abstract

Powdery mildew disease is one of the most important diseases of agriculturally and economically important crop plants and tree species. Powdery mildew causing fungi are a complex group of fungi which can infect a broad range of host species which include agricultural crops, fruit trees, and ornamental plants. The biological hosts for powdery mildew infection are important sources for food including cereals, millets, legumes, pulses, vegetables, fruits, beverages, and ornamentals with esthetic value. Considering the importance of powdery mildew disease and its impact on crop productivity and quality of the produce, it necessitates to understand the mode of infection, molecular mechanism underlying its pathogenicity, and also how plants respond to the infection to devise strategies to curb the pathogens. An attempt is made to appraise previous studies reported on powdery mildew causing fungi and elucidate mechanisms to target the pathogens effectively.