Recent Advances in Mechanisms Underlying Defense Responses of Horticultural Crops to Botrytis cinerea

Abstract

Horticultural crops are a crucial component of agriculture worldwide and have great economic value. The notorious plant fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea can cause gray mold disease in over 200 horticultural crops, leading to severe economic losses. Investigating the mechanisms underlying plant defense responses to pathogens is crucial for developing new strategies for effectively controlling plant diseases, and much progress has occurred in the mechanisms underlying defense responses of horticultural crops to B. cinerea mainly due to the completion of genome sequencing and the establishment of efficient tools for functional genomics. In this review, recent progress in mechanisms underlying defense responses and natural products that can enhance the resistance of horticultural crops to B. cinerea are summarized, and future research directions are also discussed.