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Open research questions in Plant Pathogens and Resistance

170 gap statements mined from Plant Pathogens and Resistance papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 719 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • Despite the strong evidence of seed transmission presented, there are certain limitations of this study must be acknowledged. The experiments were conducted under controlled environmental conditions, and therefore, the extent of seed transmission under diverse field environments needs to be further investigated.

    Detection of seed association and transmission of Pseudoperonospora cubensis in Cucumis sativus in Punjab, India · 2026 · DOI

  • Interpretation of the expression profiles is limited by the use of T0 rather than time-matched, wounded mockinoculated controls. The measured basal transcript levels and post-inoculation expression profiles did not consistently account for these differences, indicating that R-gene transcript abundance alone was insufficient to explain the resistance phenotypes observed in this study.

    Organ-Dependent Effectiveness of Potato R Genes Against Phytophthora infestans: Resistance Phenotypes and Expression Patterns · 2026 · DOI

  • If contamination still occurs, post-harvest decontamination and detoxification measures are necessary to reduce the impact of AF contamination. Green-synthesised NPs considerably improve the stability and bioavailability of volatile plant compounds while enhancing environmental sustainability.

    Greener Solutions in Aflatoxin Management: Transitioning from Conventional Binders to Green Nanotechnology · 2025 · DOI

  • The study aims to address the challenges including slow plant regeneration, medium browning, abnormal morphology, and regressive growth in soilless cultivation systems.

    Exploring the Impact of Coconut Peat and Vermiculite on the Rhizosphere Microbiome of Pre-Basic Seed Potatoes under Soilless Cultivation Conditions · 2024 · DOI

  • There is a need for effective control methods for Alfalfa Spring Black Stem and Leaf Spot Disease. The disease has a significant impact on alfalfa yield and quality, and current control methods may not be sufficient.

    Alfalfa Spring Black Stem and Leaf Spot Disease Caused by Phoma medicaginis: Epidemic Occurrence and Impacts · 2024 · DOI

  • Limited understanding of the biocontrol potential of Streptomyces species against Phytophthora diseases. Need for effective biocontrol agents against Phytophthora diseases. Lack of whole-genome sequencing data for Streptomyces species with antagonistic activity against Phytophthora.

    Whole Genome Sequencing and Biocontrol Potential of Streptomyces luteireticuli ASG80 Against Phytophthora Diseases · 2024 · DOI

  • The need to tackle non-linear complex classification challenges. The requirement for a large dataset to train the models.

    Machine Learning-Based Identification of Mating Type and Metalaxyl Response in Phytophthora infestans Using SSR Markers · 2024 · DOI

  • It also highlights the need to investigate the impact of different nitrogen concentrations on the agronomic traits, yield, quality, and anthocyanin content of purple potatoes.

    The Impact of Different Nitrogen Levels on the Tuber Yield and Anthocyanin Synthesis of Purple Potatoes · 2024 · DOI

  • Advances in molecular diagnostics and microscopic detection have improved early and accurate identification, enabling more timely interventions; nonetheless, complete control remains elusive.

    Basil Downy Mildew (Peronospora belbahrii): A Major Threat to Ocimum basilicum L. Production · 2025 · DOI

  • There is a need to protect potato crops not only from diseases reducing yield but also from those affecting tuber skin. The relationship between late blight resistance and black dot disease occurrence is not well understood. Prior studies have not investigated the effect of crop protection against late blight on black dot disease occurrence.

    A Complex Approach to Control Black Dot Disease in Potato · 2024 · DOI

  • Reproductive systems play an important role in the ecological function of species, but little is known about how climate change, such as global warming, may affect the reproductive systems of microbes.

    Evaluating the contribution of historical and contemporary temperature to the oospore production of self‐fertile Phytophthora infestans · 2024 · DOI

  • However, the functional roles of GH17 members in pepper in response to Phytophthora capsici, the causal agent of Phytophthora blight, remain unexplored.

    Glycoside Hydrolase CaGH 17‐12 Contributes to Phytophthora Blight Resistance by Activating the Production of Reactive Oxygen Species and Jasmonic Acid Signalling in Pepper · 2026 · DOI

  • While NHR holds substantial potential for engineering crops with broad-spectrum and durable resistance, its underlying molecular mechanism remains incompletely understood.

    Rapid activation kinetics of the NLR Swordholder underpin nonhost resistance to Phytophthora capsici in Nicotiana tabacum · 2026 · DOI

  • These findings will provide a benchmark for further research into diseases that affect R.

    Incidence of Crown and Root Rot in Rhododendron simsii Caused by Phytopythium vexans in China and Screening of Endophytic Bacteria for Biocontrol · 2025 · DOI

  • One such effector, PiAvr3b, is known to activate resistance in plants carrying the R3b gene; however, its virulence mechanism in susceptible hosts remains unclear.

    Phytophthora infestans RxLR Effector PiAvr3b Targets NADP ‐Malic Enzyme to Promote Infection · 2025 · DOI

  • Differences in life history traits between the two main population clusters should be further investigated together with virulence and host range tests to evaluate the risk each population poses to natural environments worldwide.

    Phylogeography, origin and population structure of the self‐fertile emerging plant pathogen Phytophthora pseudosyringae · 2024 · DOI

  • However, the mechanisms that enable a single pathogen to colonise different plant organs remain unclear.

    Specific Transcriptional Regulation Controls Plant Organ‐Specific Infection by the Oomycete Pathogen Phytophthora sojae · 2024 · DOI

  • Despite the commonness of generalism, the variation in infectivity, transmission, and trade-offs in performance among host species have rarely been studied in the wild.

    Alternative host shapes transmission and life‐history trait correlations in a multi‐host plant pathogen · 2024 · DOI

  • Using the presence and absence of candidates that are highlighted in the cultivars ‘Strachan’, ‘Vitabella’ and ‘Alouette’, the conserved H1 introgression segment associated with resistance can be delimited to approximately 270 kilobases in the H1-containing haplotype…

    Phased potato genome assembly and association genetics enable delineation of the H1 resistance locus against potato cyst nematodes · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the effects of other environmental factors on RS germination, - Examine the role of host presence and abundance in RS germination, - Study the seasonal ecology of the parasite in more…

    Environmental triggers of resting spore germination in the chytrid parasite Staurastromyces oculus · 2026 · DOI

  • No statistical test of differential expression was applied due to the lack of independent biological replicates, - The RNA-seq data were derived from one pooled sample per…

    Genome-Wide Identification of MAPK Cascade Genes and Their Expression Patterns in Response to Potato Late Blight · 2026 · DOI

  • Functional validation of the identified MAPK cascade genes, - Investigation of the roles of the MAPK cascade genes in potato-late blight…

    Genome-Wide Identification of MAPK Cascade Genes and Their Expression Patterns in Response to Potato Late Blight · 2026 · DOI

  • Applying machine learning techniques to determine phenotypic traits for dead isolates, - Using machine learning to identify other phenotypic markers such as virulence…

    Machine Learning-Based Identification of Mating Type and Metalaxyl Response in Phytophthora infestans Using SSR Markers · 2024 · DOI

  • Further studies on the relationship between late blight resistance and black dot occurrence, - Investigation of other factors influencing the immune status of potato cultivars in relation to BD infection, - Development of more efficient methods for BD…

    A Complex Approach to Control Black Dot Disease in Potato · 2024 · DOI

  • Further investigation of these phosphatases revealed a significant increase in protein serine/threonine phosphatases (PSP) within oomycetes.

    Mining oomycete proteomes for phosphatome leads to the identification of specific expanded phosphatases in oomycetes · 2024 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Plant Pathogens and Resistance

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The functional roles of GH17 members in pepper in response to Phytophthora capsici, the causal agent of Phytophthora blight, remain unexplored (“Glycoside Hydrolase CaGH 17‐12 Contributes to Phytophthora Blight Resistance by…”, 2026); (2) While NHR holds substantial potential for engineering crops with broad-spectrum and durable resistance, its underlying molecular mechanism remains incompletely understood (“Rapid activation kinetics of the NLR Swordholder underpin nonhost resistance to…”, 2026); (3) Advances in molecular diagnostics and microscopic detection have improved early and accurate identification, enabling more timely interventions; nonetheless, complete control remains elusive (“Basil Downy Mildew (Peronospora belbahrii): A Major Threat to Ocimum basilicum…”, 2025); (4) One such effector, PiAvr3b, is known to activate resistance in plants carrying the R3b gene; however, its virulence mechanism in susceptible hosts remains unclear (“Phytophthora infestans RxLR Effector PiAvr3b Targets NADP ‐Malic Enzyme to…”, 2025); (5) There is a need for effective control methods for Alfalfa Spring Black Stem and Leaf Spot Disease (“Alfalfa Spring Black Stem and Leaf Spot Disease Caused by Phoma medicaginis:…”, 2024). 170 gap statements have been mined from Plant Pathogens and Resistance papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 719 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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