: Since the last few decades, the promiscuous and uncontrolled use of plastics led to the accumulation of millions of tons of plastic waste in the terrestrial and marine environment. It elevated the risk of environmental pollution and climate change. The concern arises more due to the reckless and unscientific disposal of plastics containing high molecular weight polymers, viz., polystyrene, polyamide, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, polyurethane, and polyethylene, etc. which are very difficult to degrade. Thus, the focus is now paid to search for efficient, eco-friendly, low-cost waste management technology. Of them, degradation of non-degradable synthetic polymer using diverse microbial agents, viz., bacteria, fungi, and other extremophiles become an emerging option. So far, very few microbial agents and their secreted enzymes have been identified and characterized for plastic degradation, but with low efficiency. It might be due to the predominance of uncultured microbial species, which consequently remain unexplored from the respective plastic degrading milieu. To overcome this problem, metagenomic analysis of microbial population engaged in the plastic biodegradation is advisable to decipher the microbial community structure and to predict their biodegradation potential in situ. Advancements in sequencing technologies and bioinformatics analysis allow the rapid metagenome screening that helps in the identification of total microbial community and also opens up the scope for mining genes or enzymes (hydrolases, laccase, etc.) engaged in polymer degradation. Further, the extraction of the core microbial population and their adaptation, fitness, and survivability can also be deciphered through comparative metagenomic study. It will help to engineer the microbial community and their metabolic activity to speed up the degradation process.

In the present scenario of a looming food crisis, improving per hectare rice productivity at a greater pace is among the topmost priorities of scientists and breeders. In the past decades, conventional, mutational, and marker-assisted breeding techniques have played a significant role in developing multiple desired rice varieties. However, due to certain limitations, these techniques cannot furnish the projected food security of the 2050 population’s aching stomachs. One of the possible options would be precise crop genome editing using various tools, viz., TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 to resolve this multifaceted crisis. Initially, the potentiality of these technologies was tested only in the rice protoplasts. Later, the techniques were employed to edit calli with help of modified vectors, CRISPR variants, cassette cloning systems, and delivery methods. With the continuous technological advancements such as base editing, multiplexing, etc., the precision, rapidness, efficiency, reliability, potency, and range of applications of these platforms have increased and even been used for gene function studies. This leads to a revolution in the field of the rice improvement program, especially the stress tolerance against various pests and pathogens in which the susceptibility factors located within the rice genome are targeted through genome editing tools. Therefore, in this current article, we have summarized the advancements in the rice genome editing tools during the last decade concerning enhanced biotic stress tolerance. Additionally, we have focused on the regulatory aspects of genome editing with associated risks and limitations, and the prospects to reshape the rice genome for durable resistance to complex biotic stress.

In the scenario of global warming and climate change, an outbreak of new pests and pathogens has become a serious concern owing to the rapid emergence of arms races, their epidemic infection, and the ability to break down host resistance, etc. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one such evidence that depredates major cereals throughout the world. The symptomatological perplexity and aetiological complexity make this disease very severe, engendering significant losses in the yield. Apart from qualitative and quantitative losses, mycotoxin production solemnly deteriorates the grain quality in addition to life endangerment of humans and animals after consumption of toxified grains above the permissible limit. To minimize this risk, we must be very strategic in designing sustainable management practices constituting cultural, biological, chemical, and host resistance approaches. Even though genetic resistance is the most effective and environmentally safe strategy, a huge genetic variation and unstable resistance response limit the holistic deployment of resistance genes in FHB management. Thus, the focus must shift towards the editing of susceptible (S) host proteins that are soft targets of newly evolving effector molecules, which ultimately could be exploited to repress the disease development process. Hence, we must understand the pathological, biochemical, and molecular insight of disease development in a nutshell. In the present time, the availability of functional genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics information on host-pathogen interaction in FHB have constructed various networks which helped in understanding the pathogenesis and coherent host response(s). So now translation of this information for designing of host defense in the form of desirable resistant variety/ genotype is the next step. The insights collected and presented in this review will be aiding in the understanding of the disease and apprise a solution to the multi-faceted problems which are related to FHB resistance in wheat and other cereals to ensure global food safety and food security.

The development and standardization of an effective inoculation technique are essential for reliable screening of crop genotypes. In this study, three inoculation methods—in vitro paper towel, in vitro agar, and soil inoculation in pots—were tested to evaluate the pathogenic potential of Macrophomina phaseolina, the causative agent of dry root rot (DRR). Since the pathogenicity of M. phaseolina is influenced by environmental factors, identifying a robust inoculation method is critical. Among the three techniques, the paper towel inoculation method resulted in the highest seedling mortality of 66.66% in cluster beans and 86.67% in cowpeas within just ten days, demonstrating its effectiveness. The agar inoculation technique, while successful, required 15 days to confirm pathogenicity, with seedling mortality rates of 63.33% for cowpeas and 53.33% for cluster beans. In contrast, the soil inoculation method showed comparatively lower mortality rates, with 36.66% for cluster beans and 26.67% for cowpeas. Based on these findings, the paper towel method emerged as the most efficient technique for inducing rapid pathogenicity in M. phaseolina in both cowpeas and cluster beans. Its suitability was further validated through the screening of released varieties of these crops compared against the soil inoculation method. Notably, genotypes that appeared moderately resistant under the soil inoculation method were found to range from susceptible to highly susceptible when evaluated using the paper towel technique. These results underscore the reliability of the paper towel method as a rapid and robust screening tool for identifying resistant genotypes of cowpea and cluster bean on a larger scale.

Alternaria leaf blight (ALB) is a major constraint to groundnut production, particularly in North Gujarat, where its incidence has intensified in recent years due to changing climatic conditions. Effective and sustainable disease management requires fungicides that not only suppress the pathogen but also promote plant growth. To identify such options, field experiments were conducted during 2016–2018 to evaluate the bioefficacy of nine fungicides, including five systemic, two contact, and two combination formulations. Among these, propiconazole 25 EC, tebuconazole 25 WG, and carbendazim 50 WP were the most effective in reducing disease intensity and slowing disease progression. The highest pod and haulm yields were recorded in plots treated with tebuconazole 25 WG, followed by propiconazole 25 EC and carbendazim 50 WP. However, the highest cost–benefit ratio was observed with carbendazim 50 WP, followed by propiconazole 25 EC and tebuconazole 25 WG. In addition, propiconazole 25 EC and tebuconazole 25 WG exhibited notable plant growth-promoting effects, enhancing plant height, root length, and chlorophyll content. Based on these findings, the application of propiconazole 25 EC or tebuconazole 25 WG is recommended for the effective and economical management of ALB in groundnut.

The bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. cyamopsidis is the most widespread and destructive disease of clusterbean. The present study aimed to survey the major clusterbean growing areas, expanding in five districts i.e., Banaskantha, Patan, Sabarkantha, Mehsana and Aravali of North Gujarat. The study found that bacterial blight disease is prevalent in Idar, Ambaji, Danta, Sanali, Khedbramha, Shamalaji, Patan, Bhiloda, Visnagar, Deesa and Amirgadh. The highest mean disease incidence (28.44%) was recorded in Idar, Sabarkantha. Based on the gram straining it was observed that the test bacterium was gram-negative and rod-shaped. Further, the biochemical tests, such as starch hydrolysis, gelatin liquefaction, hydrogen sulphide production, catalase, and acid production from different sugars viz., sucrose, maltose, and dextrose showed a positive reaction, except, acid production from mannitol was negative. Based on the morphological, biochemical, and pathogenic characteristics, the pathogen was identified as Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. cyamopsidis.