The Emerging Potential of Certain Existing Resistance Genes for Rice Diseases, Along with the Promising Prospects of Newly Identified Genes for Informed Application in Rice Improvement

Abstract

This rice-centric review briefly revisits Flor's seminal hypothesis on plant resistance and principles of plant immunity to examine novel genetic strategies for managing disease resistance. We review the key resistance genes, both old and new, highlighting their functionalities. Broad-spectrum resistance and its durability focus on delaying or weakening the arms race between the host and the pathogen. Knowledge gained through integrated biochemical and molecular approaches in dissecting the nature of disease resistance facilitates a better understanding of host–pathogen interactions. This reveals the possibility of undertaking gene modification without disrupting the balance between normal growth and immunity. In addition, it has led to the discovery of valuable and novel, naturally occurring alleles for use in improving crop resistance to diseases. Recent advances in the fundamental molecular understanding of disease resistance, focusing on rice physiology and biochemistry, could aid in developing new strategies to enhance the durability of disease resistance through genome editing and breeding techniques, equipping farmers with robust cultivars for sustainable rice production.