Rice is a global food grain crop for more than one-third of the human population and a source for food and nutritional security. Rice production is subjected to various stresses; blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the major biotic stresses that has the potential to destroy total crop under severe conditions. In the present review, we discuss the importance of rice and blast disease in the present and future global context, genomics and molecular biology of blast pathogen and rice, and the molecular interplay between rice–M. oryzae interaction governed by different gene interaction models. We also elaborated in detail on M. oryzae effector and Avr genes, and the role of noncoding RNAs in disease development. Further, rice blast resistance QTLs; resistance (R) genes; and alleles identified, cloned, and characterized are discussed. We also discuss the utilization of QTLs and R genes for blast resistance through conventional breeding and transgenic approaches. Finally, we review the demonstrated examples and potential applications of the latest genome-editing tools in understanding and managing blast disease in rice.

Rice blast resistant gene, Pi54 cloned from rice line, Tetep, is effective against diverse isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae. In this study, we prospected the allelic variants of the dominant blast resistance gene from a set of 92 rice lines to determine the nucleotide diversity, pattern of its molecular evolution, phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary dynamics, and to develop allele specific markers. High quality sequences were generated for homologs of Pi54 gene. Using comparative sequence analysis, InDels of variable sizes in all the alleles were observed. Profiling of the selected sites of SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) and amino acids (N sites ≥ 10) exhibited constant frequency distribution of mutational and substitutional sites between the resistance and susceptible rice lines, respectively. A total of 50 new haplotypes based on the nucleotide polymorphism was also identified. A unique haplotype (H_3) was found to be linked to all the resistant alleles isolated from indica rice lines. Unique leucine zipper and tyrosine sulfation sites were identified in the predicted Pi54 proteins. Selection signals were observed in entire coding sequence of resistance alleles, as compared to LRR domains for susceptible alleles. This is a maiden report of extensive variability of Pi54 alleles in different landraces and cultivated varieties, possibly, attributing broad-spectrum resistance to Magnaporthe oryzae. The sequence variation in two consensus region: 163 bp and 144 bp were used for the development of allele specific DNA markers. Validated markers can be used for the selection and identification of better allele(s) and their introgression in commercial rice cultivars employing marker assisted selection.

In plants, resistance genes (R) are key players in combatting diseases caused by various phytopathogens. Typically, resistance relies on detecting a single pathogen-derived molecular pattern. However, R-gene-mediated resistance is often race specific, follows the gene-for-gene hypothesis, and can be overcome in field conditions as pathogens evolve. On the contrary, altering plant susceptibility genes (S-genes) facilitates compatibility and results in broad and durable resistance. S-genes are negative regulators present in plants and exploited by pathogens to facilitate their growth and cause infection. Several studies across crop species have reported manipulation of S-genes using genome editing to confer broad spectrum resistance. This review focuses on the plant defense mechanism against biotic stress, R-genes vs. S-genes, different types/classes of S-genes, different tools for S-gene discovery, and the use of gene editing technologies to target S-genes in addition to their applications, challenges, and future perspectives.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a globally important crop valued for both fresh consumption and processing, particularly in the United States. It was the first specialty crop among horticultural crops with a publicly available draft genome, providing a foundation for molecular breeding and trait discovery. However, cucumber production faces significant yield losses due to a wide range of biotic stresses. The crop is highly susceptible to fungal, viral, and bacterial pathogens throughout its lifecycle. To combat these challenges, breeders deploy conventional and contemporary breeding strategies to develop disease-resistant cultivars. Advances in high-throughput sequencing and genomic tools, such as quantitative trait loci mapping, genome-wide association studies, and genomic selection, have accelerated the identification and subsequent integration of resistance genes and loci into elite cucumber germplasm. This review highlights recent progress in resistance breeding for biotic stress management in cucumber, with a focus on major diseases caused by fungal, viral, and bacterial pathogens. It emphasizes the role of genomic tools, the discovery of key resistance genes and QTLs, and the potential of modern breeding approaches to improve crop resilience. Continued innovation and integration of emerging technologies will be essential for developing durable, broad-spectrum resistance in future cucumber cultivars.

Currently, India utilizes an enormous amount of fossil fuels and a major quantity of fossil fuels are imported from other countries. It’s a giant load on the Indian Economy. The burning of fossil fuels causes global warming. Carbon neutral, renewable fuels are essential for environmental protection and it’s economically sustainable for India. Biofuels attention day by day due to a rise in energy demands and environmental concerns. Biodiesel produced from algal oil a possible renewable and carbon-neutral substitute to fossil fuels. The feasibility of the algal-based biodiesel industry depends on the selection of adequate species regarding commercial oil yields and oil quality. Present research work to bioprospecting and screening of 19 algal and blue-green algal species, the oil percentage and the fatty acid profiles, used for analyzing the biodiesel fuel properties. Oil from Tolypothrix phyllophila algal strain and compared it with another eighteen algal and blue-green algal strains from different literature. Tolypothrix phyllophila algal strain contains approximately 12.6% lipid on a dry weight basis. We also compared the FAME profile of 19 algal and blue-green algal strains and calculated and compared the fuel properties such as cetane number, Iodine Value, etc. of the biodiesel derived from these algal and blue-green algal oils based on chain length and saturation. We also investigated the 19 algal and blue-green algal fatty acid profiles and its suitability for biodiesel production and strains selection through PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations) and GAIA (geometrical analysis for interactive aid) analysis.