Advances in understanding and managing Fusarium crown rot in wheat and barley: Pathogen biology, host resistance, and integrated management strategies

• Fusarium crown rot (FCR) resistance in wheat is polygenic, involving ROS scavenging, hormone signaling, and cell wall reinforcement, with key genes like TaCAT2 and TaHSP18.6 identified. • Fusarium pseudograminearum employs mycotoxins, effector proteins, and detoxification clusters to overcome host defenses, complicating disease management. • Combining genetic resistance, agronomic practices, and emerging tools like CRISPR/Cas9 offers sustainable FCR control in cereal crops. • Multi-omics approaches reveal shared genetic pathways between FCR resistance and drought tolerance, aiding breeding for climate-resilient wheat cultivars. Fusarium crown rot (FCR), caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum , is a soil-borne disease that continuously threatens wheat and barley production worldwide, resulting in substantial yield losses, particularly in semi-arid regions. This review consolidates the latest insights on Fusarium pseudograminearum epidemiology, genetic diversity, host-pathogen interactions, and the mechanisms of resistance. It integrates findings from genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. The resistance to FCR is polygenic, it is controlled by multiple quantitative trait loci, which makes breeding for resistance quite challenging. Recent advancements in omics technologies have unraveled key defense genes, signaling pathways, and virulence factors like deoxynivalenol and various effectors. While cultural methods, chemical treatments and biological control agents can help to a certain extent, they only provide partial solutions. Additionally, environmental factors such as drought can aggravate the severity of FCR, underscoring the need for disease management strategies that integrate genetic resistance, agronomic practices, and predictive diagnostics to ensure sustainable management.