At present, 1.5 million species of fungi are estimated. Among these less than 5% have been described. Many fungal species cause disease in plants. These diseases cause major economic and production losses in the agricultural industry worldwide. Monitoring plant health and detecting the pathogen early are essential to reduce the disease spread, and facilitate effective management practices. DNA-based methods now provide essential tools for accurate plant disease diagnosis. Recently, effective amplification platforms, probe development, various quantitative PCR, DNA barcoding and RNA-Seq-based next-generation sequencing have revolutionized the research in fungal detection field, and differentiation area. Although the molecular diagnostics techniques have grown extensively over the last couple of decades but still there is a long way to go in the development and application of molecular diagnostics to assist the plant disease diagnosticians. Finally, molecular diagnostic techniques used in plant disease diagnostic clinics need to be robust, reliable, inexpensive and easy to be used that they can compete with, and complement traditional techniques. Challenge now remains residue with the researchers to develop the practical techniques used for diagnostic setting. Examples of the recent advancement in the molecular techniques for diagnosing the fungi causing plant disease are discussed in the review.

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Cucumber is an important vegetable but highly sensitive to salt stress. The present study was designed to investigate the comparative performance of cucumber genotypes under salt stress (50 mmol L−1) and stress alleviation through an optimized level of triacontanol @ 0.8 mg L−1. Four cucumber genotypes were subjected to foliar application of triacontanol under stress. Different physiological, biochemical, water relations and ionic traits were observed to determine the role of triacontanol in salt stress alleviation. Triacontanol ameliorated the lethal impact of salt stress in all genotypes, but Green long and Marketmore were more responsive than Summer green and 20252 in almost all the attributes that define the genetic potential of genotypes. Triacontanol performs as a good scavenger of ROS by accelerating the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT) and compatible solutes (proline, glycinebetaine, phenolic contents), which lead to improved gas exchange attributes and water relations and in that way enhance the calcium and potassium contents or decline the sodium and chloride contents in cucumber leaves. Furthermore, triacontanol feeding also shows the answer to yield traits of cucumber. It was concluded from the results that the salinity tolerance efficacy of triacontanol is valid in enhancing the productivity of cucumber plants under salt stress. Triacontanol was more pronounced in green long and marketer green than in summer green and 20252. Hence, the findings of this study pave the way towards the usage of triacontanol @ 0.8 mg L−1, and green long and marketer genotypes may be recommended for saline soil.

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