Biotechnology in the Battle Against Potyviruses: A Review of Disease Management in Solanaceae

Some Solanaceae members are among the most important agricultural commodities cultivated globally. Climate change poses a threat of increased pathogen infections in solanaceous plants, with viruses (especially potyviruses) being among the most difficult to control. Over the past few decades, various methods have been developed, starting with conventional methods for the prevention and control of viral infections. The presence of virus resistance genes in some cultivars has encouraged traditional and molecular breeding, and most recently, genetic engineering and genome editing. The latter two methods have significantly improved specificity while decreasing the time required. However, genetically engineered crops are still highly regulated, if not opposed, in many countries. In this context, genome editing, and particularly the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 method (CRISPR/Cas9), is considered versatile, highly specific, and relatively fast. Although genome editing in chili has not yet been widely studied, existing literature suggests its potential. In this review, we discuss available methods for controlling potyvirus infection in solanaceous crops and propose that genome editing be routinely used as part of efforts to develop resistant cultivars.