Towards durable plant virus resistance: a perspective on mechanisms, breeding and diagnostic innovations

Abstract Plant virus outbreaks pose a major threat to global crop production, requiring durable and sustainable resistance strategies. This perspective, arising from the 57th meeting of the DPG Working Group “Viruskrankheiten der Pflanzen”, highlights advances in resistance mechanisms, breeding, and diagnostics. We emphasize the integration of classical breeding with modern tools such as GWAS, marker-assisted selection, CRISPR/Cas editing, RNA interference, and epigenetic approaches. High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics are transforming diagnostics and surveillance, while breeder perspectives stress agronomic and regulatory integration. Together, these developments point to interdisciplinary pathways for achieving resilient, virus-resistant cultivars to support sustainable agriculture.