The soil-borne fungal pathogen Athelia rolfsii: past, present, and future concern in legumes

Legumes are ubiquitous, low-cost meals that are abundant in protein, vitamins, minerals, and calories. Several biotic constraints are to blame for the global output of legumes not meeting expectations. Fungi, in particular, are substantial restrictions that not only hinder production but also pose a serious health risk to both human and livestock consumption. Athelia rolfsii (Syn. Sclerotium rolfsii) is a dangerous pathogenic fungus that attacks most crops, causing massive yield losses. Legumes are no longer immune to this dreadful fungus, which can potentially result in a 100% yield loss. The initial disease symptoms based on the formation of brown color lesions at the point of infection and further development of mycelia, followed by yellowing and wilting of the whole plant. To tackle such situation, various strategies, i.e., management in cultural practices, disease-free plant growth, genetic changes, crop hybridization and in vitro culture techniques have been undertaken. This present review encapsulates the entire situation, from sclerotial dissemination through infection development and control in legume crops, with the goal of developing a tangible understanding of sustainable legume production improvements. Further study in this area might be led in an integrated manner as a result of this information, which could contribute to a better understanding of the processes of disease incidence, resistance mechanism, and its control, and fostering greater inventiveness in the production of legumes.