Management of Aphanomyces root rot disease in sugar beet - a review

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is an important cash crop and is one of the main sources of sucrose, accounting for more than 30% of sugar production worldwide. Sugar beet production is often threatened by soil-borne pathogens, which can attack the roots at all stages of sugar beet development, disrupting entire sugar beet fields and causing severe yield losses. One of the most problematic root diseases in sugar beet is Aphanomyces root rot, caused by the oomycete Aphanomyces cochlioides. This pathogen is globally widespread and is responsible for drastic economic damage in all major sugar beet producing countries. Sources of resistance are limited, and no effective control measures are currently available. Further studies on host-pathogen interactions are needed to improve disease management, and novel breeding tools are urgently required. Moreover, the increasing knowledge of biological control agents could be employed to develop integrated disease management strategies to minimize the damage caused by A. cochlioides. In this review, we provide an overview of A. cochlioides biology and infection processes focusing on disease management and new insights for future control strategies.