MECHANISMS INVOLVE IN JUTE RESISTANCE TO Macrophomina phaseolina: STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING RESISTANT JUTE VARIETIES

Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) is an important soil and seed-borne pathogen. This pathogen has a broad geographic distribution and a large host range. The aim of the present study was to determine the genetic variation among a global set of Macrophomina Phaseolina. Macrophomina phaseolina causes diseases of more than 500 crop and non-crop species, including economically important hosts such as soybean, common bean, corn, sorghum, cowpea, peanut and cotton. The fungus has a worldwide distribution but is regarded as economically more important in subtropical and tropical countries with semi-arid climates. Macrophomina phaseolina induces diseases on a range of crops, ranging from seedling blight, root and stem rot, wilt, and pre- to post-emergent damping off, which result in decreased stem height, girth, root and head weight, or death, of affected plants. The abundant production of minute black sclerotia of the fungus causes the rotted tissues to become blackened, and for this reason, the various diseases are known as charcoal rot. There is various process to prevent the infection caused by Macrophomina phaseolina. Chemical control, biological control, biotechnological approaches and transgenic plant production process are effective way to decrease the economical damage caused by Macrophomina phaseolina. Further research is required to determine its virulence compared to Macrophomina phaseolina, and its geographic distribution and various mechanisms have to be invented that are related to protection against pathogens.