ABSTRACT
Plant disease and pests pose a serious threat to food security, causing an average of 20%–40% yield loss globally. Losses from diseases have been minimized in the past using an integrated approach combining best agricultural practices, agrochemical use and plant breeding. Conventional plant breeding and genetic engineering are two main approaches to producing crops with improved characteristics. In this chapter, we discuss the genetic/nucleic acid alteration tools and solutions currently available for generating resistance against bacterial, viral, fungal and other pathogens. We assess these solutions based on their effectiveness and the advantages they provide. We highlight the success stories and challenges of the potential genetic engineering tool and attempt to describe the trend for the future.
