Omics approaches in plant disease management: An insightful review

Abstract

Plant diseases cause up to 40 % of global crop losses annually, severely impacting food security and agricultural economies. Traditional disease management approaches often fall short, necessitating advanced solutions. Omics technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics have transformed plant pathology by enabling early pathogen detection, accelerated resistance breeding, and precision biocontrol. This review highlights key advancements in omics-driven disease management, emphasizing their transformative potential in modern agriculture. Genomics utilizes the next-generation sequencing (NGS) for pathogen diagnostics, CRISPR-based gene editing, and rapid resistance gene mapping reducing breeding cycles. Transcriptomics leverages RNA-Seq and microarrays to decode host-pathogen interactions and defense mechanisms, while metabolomics identifies disease biomarkers and stress-responsive metabolites with 95 % accuracy in pre-symptomatic detection. Proteomics unravels effector-host protein interactions via mass spectrometry, enabling targeted immune response studies. Though less established, phenomics integrates AI, drones, and hyperspectral imaging for high-throughput disease phenotyping, offering non-invasive monitoring at scale. Integration of multi-omics data with machine learning has yielded predictive models for plant immunity and pathogen behavior, facilitating precision interventions. Metagenomics further enhances biocontrol strategies by profiling beneficial microbiomes and enabling phage therapy against resistant pathogens. Despite their promise, challenges like data complexity, high costs, and regulatory barriers remain. However, strategic omics adoption can drive sustainable agriculture, foster climate-resilient crops and reducing reliance on chemical pesticides. By bridging fundamental research and field applications, omics technologies are poised to redefine global crop protection, ensuring food security in an era of climate change and emerging plant diseases.