Root Rot Disease in Agriculture: History
View Latest Version
Please note this is an old version of this entry, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Subjects: Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Contributor:
Amit Dhingra

Root rot diseases remain a major global threat to the productivity of agricultural crops. They are usually caused by more than one type of pathogen and are thus often referred to as a root rot complex.

  • fungi
  • oomycetes
  • root rot

1. Introduction

Root rot diseases remain a major global threat to the productivity of agricultural crops. They are usually caused by more than one type of pathogen and are thus often referred to as a root rot complex. Fungal and oomycete species are the predominant participants in the complex, while bacteria and viruses are also known to cause root rot. Incorporating genetic resistance in cultivated crops is considered the most efficient and sustainable solution to counter root rot, however, resistance is often quantitative in nature. Several genetics studies in various crops have identified the quantitative trait loci associated with resistance. With access to whole-genome sequences, the identity of the genes within the reported loci is becoming available. Several of the identified genes have been implicated in pathogen responses. However, it is becoming apparent that at the molecular level, each pathogen engages a unique set of proteins to either infest the host successfully or be defeated or contained in attempting so.

2. Overview of Root Rots 

Root rots have a significant impact on global crop production [1]. Depending on the causal agent, host susceptibility, and the environmental conditions, crop losses can range from slightly above the economic threshold to losing complete fields [2][3][4]. Interestingly, legumes seem to be the most common host for these pathogens [3][5][6]. However, monocots and dicots, cereals and legumes, fruit trees, and tubers also fall prey to root rots.

Fungi and oomycetes most commonly cause root rot disease. However, bacteria and even viruses can be causal agents [4][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Due to more than one pathogen’s involvement, the disease is commonly referred to as a root rot complex. Some classic examples include the black root rot of strawberry attributed to Pythium (oomycete), Fusarium (fungus), and Rhizoctonia (fungus) pathogens [13][14][15], and the pea root rot complex caused by A. euteiches (oomycete), F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. avenaceum, Mycosphaerella pinodes (fungus), Pythium spp., R. solani, and Phytophthora spp. (oomycete) [16][17][18][19].

Unless the root rot complex affects seed germination, the root-specific symptoms go unnoticed or are not visible. If symptoms appear aboveground, the plants usually fail to recover. Some of the symptoms associated with root rots include browning and softening of root tips, root lesions that vary in size and color (reddish, brown, and black), yellowing and wilting of leaves, stunted plant growth, reduced yield, and loss of crop [1][3][4][20][21][22]. Selected root rot pathogens can also cause post-harvest rots in beets, potato, and sweet potato. The proliferation of root rot pathogens is favored by moderate to high soil moisture, poor drainage conditions, soil compaction, the optimal temperature for pathogen growth, mono-cropping, and other factors that contribute to plant stress [1][23][24][25]. The unpredictable climatic conditions portend an increase in mean temperatures and other natural calamities such as droughts, floods, and storms. These conditions are expected to inflict constant stress on crops, which is expected to favor the increased activity of root rot pathogens [26][27][28].

Cultural, physical, biological, and chemical control methods have been used as management strategies to control root rot disease. However, to date, these strategies have only been partially successful. Most of the root rot pathogens are distributed globally, and some species can survive up to 10 years in the soil [29]. Several root rot pathogens are host-specific, however, some have a wide range of hosts. Therefore, crop rotation may not be fully effective as a control method [3][29]. Chemical control is often inefficient due to these pathogens’ soilborne nature and is not the most sustainable option as it also impacts beneficial microbes. Furthermore, there is a high likelihood of cross-contamination between contiguous plots and when using shared field equipment [30][31].

There is a critical need to understand the genetic basis of root rots and incorporate the information in breeding strategies to develop root rot-resistant crops. The current understanding of plant molecular defense responses is derived primarily from studies using foliar pathosystems [32]. Specific and unique genetic and molecular aspects of the host-pathogen interactions in the roots have been unraveled in the past few decades.

This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/horticulturae7020033

References

  1. Kumari, N.; Katoch, S. Wilt and Root Rot Complex of Important Pulse Crops: Their Detection and Integrated Management. In Management of Fungal Pathogens in Pulses; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2020; pp. 93–119.
  2. Erwin, D.C.; Ribeiro, O.K. Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide; American Phytopathological Society (APS Press): St. Paul, MN, USA, 1996; ISBN 0890542120.
  3. Gaulin, E.; Jacquet, C.; Bottin, A.; Dumas, B. Root rot disease of legumes caused by Aphanomyces euteiches. Mol. Plant Pathol. 2007, 8, 539–548.
  4. Bodah, E.T. Root rot diseases in plants: A review of common causal agents and management strategies. Agric. Res. Technol. Open Access J. 2017, 5, 555661.
  5. Kraft, J.M.; Haware, M.P.; Jimenez-Diaz, R.M.; Bayaa, B.; Harrabi, M. Screening techniques and sources of resistance to root rots and wilts in cool season food legumes. Euphytica 1993, 73, 27–39.
  6. Hughes, T.J.; Grau, C.R. Aphanomyces root rot (common root rot) of legumes. Plant Heal. Instr. 2007.
  7. Bhat, K.A.; Masood, S.D.; Bhat, N.A.; Bhat, M.A.; Razvi, S.M.; Mir, M.R.; Sabina, A.; Wani, N.; Habib, M. Current status of post harvest soft rot in vegetables: A review. Asian J. Plant Sci. 2010, 9, 200–208.
  8. Kikumoto, T. Ecology and biocontrol of soft rot of Chinese cabbage. Jpn. J. Phytopathol. 2000, 66, 60–62.
  9. Liao, C.-H. Control of foodborne pathogens and soft-rot bacteria on bell pepper by three strains of bacterial antagonists. J. Food Prot. 2009, 72, 85–92.
  10. Perombelon, M.C.M.; Kelman, A. Ecology of the soft rot erwinias. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 1980, 18, 361–387.
  11. Bock, K.R. Studies on cassava brown streak virus disease in Kenya. Trop. Sci. 1994, 34, 134–145.
  12. Hillocks, R.J.; Raya, M.D.; Mtunda, K.; Kiozia, H. Effects of brown streak virus disease on yield and quality of cassava in Tanzania. J. Phytopathol. 2001, 149, 389–394.
  13. Louws, F.; Sun, J.; Whittington, H.; Driver, J.; Peeden, K.; Liu, B. Evaluation of fungicides and mustard meal to manage black root rot of strawberry and analysis of Pythium, Fusarium, and Rhizoctonia on strawberry roots. Phytopathology 2012, 102, 72.
  14. Manici, L.M.; Caputo, F.; Baruzzi, G. Additional experiences to elucidate the microbial component of soil suppressiveness towards strawberry black root rot complex. Ann. Appl. Biol. 2005, 146, 421–431.
  15. Particka, C.A.; Hancock, J.F. Field evaluation of strawberry genotypes for tolerance to black root rot on fumigated and nonfumigated soil. J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 2005, 130, 688–693.
  16. Xue, A.G. Biological control of pathogens causing root rot complex in field pea using Clonostachys rosea strain ACM941. Phytopathology 2003, 93, 329–335.
  17. Hosseini, S.; Elfstrand, M.; Heyman, F.; Jensen, D.F.; Karlsson, M. Deciphering common and specific transcriptional immune responses in pea towards the oomycete pathogens Aphanomyces euteiches and Phytophthora pisi. BMC Genom. 2015, 16, 627.
  18. Tu, J.C. Effects of soil compaction, temperature, and moisture on the development of the Fusarium root rot complex of pea in southwestern Ontario. Phytoprotection 1994, 75, 125–131.
  19. Zitnick-Anderson, K.; Simons, K.; Pasche, J.S. Detection and qPCR quantification of seven Fusarium species associated with the root rot complex in field pea. Can. J. Plant Pathol. 2018, 40, 261–271.
  20. Hamon, C.; Baranger, A.; Coyne, C.J.; McGee, R.J.; Le Goff, I.; L’Anthoëne, V.; Esnault, R.; Riviere, J.-P.; Klein, A.; Mangin, P. New consistent QTL in pea associated with partial resistance to Aphanomyces euteiches in multiple French and American environments. Theor. Appl. Genet. 2011, 123, 261–281.
  21. Carling, D.E.; Baird, R.E.; Gitaitis, R.D.; Brainard, K.A.; Kuninaga, S. Characterization of AG-13, a newly reported anastomosis group of Rhizoctonia solani. Phytopathology 2002, 92, 893–899.
  22. Tewoldemedhin, Y.T.; Lamprecht, S.C.; McLeod, A.; Mazzola, M. Characterization of Rhizoctonia spp. recovered from crop plants used in rotational cropping systems in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Plant Dis. 2006, 90, 1399–1406.
  23. Allmaras, R.R.; Fritz, V.A.; Pfleger, F.L.; Copeland, S.M. Impaired internal drainage and Aphanomyces euteiches root rot of pea caused by soil compaction in a fine-textured soil. Soil Tillage Res. 2003, 70, 41–52.
  24. Falcon, M.F.; Fox, R.L.; Trujillo, E.E. Interactions of soil pH, nutrients and moisture on Phytophthora root rot of avocado. Plant Soil 1984, 81, 165–176.
  25. Rhoades, C.C.; Brosi, S.L.; Dattilo, A.J.; Vincelli, P. Effect of soil compaction and moisture on incidence of phytophthora root rot on American chestnut (Castanea dentata) seedlings. For. Ecol. Manag. 2003, 184, 47–54.
  26. La Porta, N.; Capretti, P.; Thomsen, I.M.; Kasanen, R.; Hietala, A.M.; Von Weissenberg, K. Forest pathogens with higher damage potential due to climate change in Europe. Can. J. Plant Pathol. 2008, 30, 177–195.
  27. Kubiak, K.; Żółciak, A.; Damszel, M.; Lech, P.; Sierota, Z. Armillaria pathogenesis under climate changes. Forests 2017, 8, 100.
  28. Klopfenstein, N.B. Approaches to Predicting Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Forest Disease: An Example with Armillaria Root Disease; US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: Washington, DC, USA, 2009.
  29. Papavizas, G.C.; Ayers, W.A. Aphanomyces Species and Their Root Diseases in Pea and Sugarbeet; US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: Washington, DC, USA, 1974.
  30. Oelke, L.M.; Bosland, P.W.; Steiner, R. Differentiation of race specific resistance to Phytophthora root rot and foliar blight in Capsicum annuum. J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 2003, 128, 213–218.
  31. Tu, J.C.; Papadopoulos, A.P.; Hao, X.; Zheng, J. The relationship of Pythium root rot and rhizosphere microorganisms in a closed circulating and an open system in rockwool culture of tomato. In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Growing Media and Hydroponics, Windsor, ON, Canada, 19 May 1997; Volume 481, pp. 577–586.
  32. Zhu, Y.; Saltzgiver, M. A systematic analysis of apple root resistance traits to Pythium ultimum infection and the underpinned molecular regulations of defense activation. Hortic. Res. 2020, 7, 1–11.
More
© Text is available under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
This entry is offline, you can click here to edit this entry!
Video Production Service
Feedback