Pestalotiopsis-like species: host network and lifestyle on tea crop

Pestalotiopsis-like species are necrotrophic fungi, which infect many annual and perennial crops, including agricultural, horticultural, and plantation crops, in postharvest and under field conditions worldwide. They cause multiple diseases on crops, which results in severe yield loss. At present, Pestalotiopsis-like species cause gray blight on tea, which is a widely prevalent disease in major tea-growing countries and rapidly spreading in other tea-growing countries of minor importance due to climate change. The global increase in disease incidence and severity and the emergence of new virulent isolates have prompted research on the evolution of pathogenic determinants in these fungal species. This review synthesizes the epidemiology, molecular and genetic studies of the gray blight pathogen with particular reference to tea crop and the approaches to mitigate it. Further, the adaptation of Pestalotiopsis-like species on other crops and their management strategies are also discussed along with potential areas for future research.