Molecular tools for detection and management of Macrophomina phaseolina

Macrophomina phaseolina is a common soil-borne pathogen that causes diseases including stem rot, root rot, and dry root rot in a diversity of plant species. The ability to detect pathogen quickly and accurately is critical for implementing effective disease management strategies. Traditional detection methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and gradually superseded by molecular technologies, which are more sensitive, quicker, and highly precise. Intraspecific differences and pathogenicity of M. phaseolina have made complicated to separate into subspecies. Culture-based morphological techniques are unable to identify M. phaseolina; hence, nucleic acid-based molecular approaches have developed. Earlier methods can be replaced by PCR-based technique which is very specific and accurate. Internal transcribed spacers, fluorescence in situ hybridization, whole genome sequencing, genetic diversity analysis with PCR, RAPD, RFLP, metagenomics, and other molecular techniques can detect several isolates in a single attempt. Some technologies are also useful for thorough assessment of the fungal developmental process and molecular basis of pathogenicity. Ultimately, these molecular tools help in implementing the appropriate disease management strategies against M. phaseolina.