Engineering Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum Resistance in Oilseed Crops
Keywords:
detoxification, disease resistance, fungal inhibition, hydrogen peroxide, oxalate oxidase, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, white mold.Abstract
The fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is worldwide in distribution and pathogenic
to more than 400 plant species. This disease causes significant yield losses of various important crops
including sunflower, canola, and soybean. Applying fungicides and crop rotation are currently the
major methods of controlling this disease. However, fungicide chemicals are expensive, not all
environmentally safe, and not always effective. Few genetic sources of resistance to the pathogen are
available to breeders. Therefore, farmers have a continuing demand for new approaches to control the
disease. Biotechnology opens a new avenue to control this pathogen. Several strategies, including
detoxification, defense activation, and fungal inhibition, have potential to engineer Sclerotinia
resistance. This review summarizes the progress of transgenic Sclerotinia resistance in oilseed crops
including sunflower, canola, and soybean.
