Fusarium Wilt Management in Legume Crops

Abstract

Legumes are among the most important crops worldwide for human and animal consumption. However, yield inconsistency due to susceptibility to pests and diseases strongly affects its production. Among diseases affecting legumes, Fusarium wilt caused by the soil-borne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl. (Fo) is one of the major factors limiting production worldwide. This disease can cause total losses in highly infested fields of some legume species. To minimize yield losses, integrated disease management strategies combining different agronomic practices with the use of resistant varieties should be applied. Although often characterized by a high degree of host specificity, with formae speciales (ff. spp.) and races identified, some Fo ff. spp. can have a broader host range, infecting more than one species, requiring further investigation. In this review, we describe the state of the art on legume Fusarium wilt management achievements, highlighting different aspects such as the use of rhizosphere microbiota as biocontrol agents, crop rotation and the use of resistant varieties. The different methods of identification and characterization of resistance sources, mechanisms as well as the genetic basis of resistance or the development of molecular tools to support legume precision breeding for Fo resistance are discussed.