Scientists have developed improved methods to extract high-quality DNA from pathogenic fungi, which is essential for sequencing and understanding how these fungi cause plant diseases. Two different extraction techniques were refined and tested on Magnaporthaceae fungi: one that works with small amounts of fungal material, and another that produces longer DNA strands when more material is available. The key to success is harvesting the fungi before they accumulate dark pigments that interfere with DNA extraction. These protocols will help researchers create better genome maps of disease-causing fungi, leading to improved strategies for crop protection.