The economic importance and current progress made in studies of the host-parasite relationship and identification of sources of resistance and breeding strategies of some important biotic diseases of pea are reviewed in this paper . The root rot complex caused by Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium solani, Aphanomyces euteiches, Pythium ultimum and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp . pisi, race 1 and 2 has been reported from all commercial pea growing areas of the world . Adequate sources of resistance have been identified and there has been impressive success in the control of the Fusarium wilt pathogen following the introduction of wilt-resistant cultivars . Leaf and stem diseases of pea caused by the Ascochyta complex, Peronospora viciae and Erysiphe pisi are prevalent in most temperate pea growing regions of the world . Several sources of resistance are available, some of which are surprisingly durable . The biochemical genetic parameters of phenolic content used for assaying resistance to Erysiphe pisi offers an alternative method of evaluating breeding material . Wild relatives of pea (Pisum fulvum and P humile) are valuable additional sources of genetic variation and provide good sources of resistance to pests and diseases . In temperate rainfed pea growing areas of southern Australia, pea seed yield is more closely related to dry matter production than harvest index . Tall and leafy cultivars proved more productive than afila types .