Trans-Kingdom sRNA Silencing in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum for Crop Fungal Disease Management

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a globally widespread and vast destructive plant pathogenic fungus that causes significant yield losses in crops. Due to the lack of effective resistant germplasm resources, the control of diseases caused by S. sclerotiorum largely relies on chemical fungicides. However, excessive use of these chemicals not only causes environmental concerns but also leads to the increased development of resistance in S. sclerotiorum. In contrast, trans-kingdom sRNA silencing-based technologies, such as host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) and spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS), offer novel, effective, and environmentally friendly methods for the management of S. sclerotiorum infection. This review summarizes recent advances in the identification of S. sclerotiorum pathogenic genes, target gene selection, categories, and application of trans-kingdom RNA interference (RNAi) technologies targeting this pathogen. Although some challenges, including off-target effects and the efficiency of external sRNA uptake, exist, recent findings have proposed solutions for further improvement. Combined with the latest developments in CRISPR/Cas gene editing and other technologies, trans-kingdom RNAi has significant potential to become a crucial tool in the control of sclerotinia stem rot (SSR), mitigating the impact of S. sclerotiorum on crop production.