Biotic Stresses in Food Legumes: An Update and Future Prospects

Pests and diseases amount to an estimated 1/sixth of farm produce losses globally each year, and overall losses in attainable yield due to pest and diseases are far greater in Asia and Africa impacting smallholder farmers’ ability to feed their families. In legumes, the production is severely affected by different species of soil-borne and foliar pathogens. Comprehensive detail of the R&D conducted on biotic stresses (diseases) in legumes with special reference to emerging diseases under changing climatic condition has been discussed in this article. Brief account of current distribution, economic importance and management strategy has also been discussed. The recent biotechnological approaches such as marker-assisted selection and genetic engineering are also being touched upon for managing these stresses.