Recent advances in understanding and managing banded leaf and sheath blight in maize: From biochemical defense to genomic innovations

Abstract

Banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB), caused by Rhizoctonia solani f. sp. sasakii ( R. solani ), is one of the most important fungal diseases of maize ( Zea mays L.). The disease causes substantial economic losses affecting maize cultivation globally. It cannot be controlled easily by reliance solely on either fungicides or crop rotation. The paper reviews multifaceted strategies combining host resistance, biocontrol agents, and cutting‐edge genomics for sustainably managing BLSB in maize. The pathogen infestation induces a range of complex biochemical defenses in plants that result in the production of several phenolic compounds and enzymes, including peroxidase and polyphenol oxidases. This is known to strengthen the cell wall and thereby hinder fungal growth. Additionally, beneficial microbes and various volatile organic compounds produced by them are potential agents in controlling the disease by stimulating plant defenses via systemic acquired resistance. Research has also been done to exploit the plant growth regulators for their ability to boost plant immunity against the disease. Despite these advances, several important gaps remain, particularly in understanding the mechanisms underlying durable and broad‐spectrum BLSB resistance, translating genomic discoveries into practical breeding strategies, and achieving consistent field‐level efficacy of biological control agents. Unlike earlier reviews, this review emphasizes providing an integrated synthesis linking host resistance, beneficial microorganisms, induced defense mechanisms, genomics, transcriptomics, and genome editing. Genomic studies—such as quantitative trait locus mapping and genome‐wide association studies—have identified chromosomal regions and the genes associated with BLSB resistance. While transcriptomics and other omics approaches have led to improved understanding of the associated defense‐related pathways. In addition, recent advances in genome editing techniques, especially clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat‐Cas, have opened new avenues for breeding BLSB‐resistant maize varieties. By connecting these emerging molecular insights with conventional and biological disease‐management approaches, this review identifies current knowledge gaps and highlights future research priorities for developing durable, sustainable, and precision‐based strategies for BLSB management.