Plant Biotic Stress: Tools and Techniques for Crop Protection

As climate change continues to impact crop yields, developing strategies to enhance plant tolerance to biotic stress has become increasingly important. This requires a thorough evaluation of the tools and methodologies used to manipulate and study biotic stress tolerance. It is crucial to comprehensively understand both conventional and modern techniques, as well as their effectiveness in addressing the specific needs of the crop under study. Detecting diseases at the early stages of plant development can prevent significant losses in large-scale cultivations. Two broad approaches commonly used to mitigate biotic stresses are eliminating causative agents such as fungi, bacteria, nematodes, viruses, or pests, and imparting resistance to the plant. Although there are similarities in the tools and techniques used to address different biotic stresses, each scenario requires dedicated case studies. It is also essential to stay up to date with the latest developments in plant biotechnology to incorporate a cross-disciplinary approach in conducting and validating experiments. This chapter provides an overview of methods covered in this book ranging from molecular breeding to nondestructive techniques that help achieve the goal of safeguarding plant health.