Diverse, Novel Mycoviruses from the Virome of a Hypovirulent Sclerotium rolfsii Strain

This research discovered multiple new viruses that infect a plant-damaging fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii. These viruses can weaken the fungus’s ability to cause disease in plants, potentially offering a natural way to protect crops. The study provides important insights into how these beneficial viruses could be used to control harmful plant diseases. Impacts on everyday life: – Could lead to more environmentally friendly methods of protecting food crops – May reduce the need for chemical fungicides in agriculture – Helps understand how viruses can be used beneficially in plant disease management – Could improve food security by providing new tools to fight crop diseases – May lead to lower food production costs through natural disease control