Genetic and Genomic Resource to Augment Breeding Strategies for Biotic Stresses in Groundnut

Considerable advancement in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) breeding programs has been made, where more than 250 varieties are released in past 30 years. This chapter addresses strategies for combating challenges encountered in resistance breeding, focusing specifically on foliar fungal diseases, bacterial wilt, viruses, aflatoxins, insects, etc., in groundnut. Progress in genomics enabled breeding strategies for biotic stresses is also taken into account. Techniques like genetic engineering and interspecific hybridization aimed to transfer useful genes from wild Arachis species and other sources into cultivated groundnut lines are also highlighted. It also covers the recent advances and trends in omics technology such as proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, genomics, phenomics, epigenomics, and miRNAomics for detection/identification of proteins, metabolites, and genes related to biotic stress. This chapter also deals with the opportunities, challenges, and future perspectives for Omics approaches under biotic stresses of groundnut. The utilization of omics is beneficial in enhancing tolerance in groundnut to mitigate diverse biotic stresses, thereby contributing to the fulfillment of food requirements for the rapidly expanding global population.