More than 100 diseases have impacted Glycine max L. over the past few decades. A soil-born necrotrophic fungus, Macrophomina phaseolina produces charcoal rot in soybeans, which reduces yield by 70%. Crop development and growth are adversely affected by charcoal rot. This disease puts farmers at risk financially since no fungicide can properly tackle it. The danger that fungicides represent to the environment prompted to investigate silicon's capacity to fight charcoal rot. Fortunately, Dr. P.D.K.V. Akola developed the resistant genotype Suvarn Soya (AMS-MB-5-18) and released nationwide in the year 2019. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying Macrophomina phaseolina interactions with hosts. Thus far, silicon treatments and RNA-Seq have not been used to examine the genetic processes underlying host immune responses in resistant and susceptible genotypes. Potassium silicate was therefore used in the experiment. A screening experiment employing S.E.M. revealed a significant difference in potassium silicate build-up in disease resistance. Current study suggests that 1.7mM potassium silicate can lower the risk of disease. The adhesion and penetration of Macrophomina phaseolina into the root were carefully investigated in order to understand the morphological and molecular characteristics. New genes related to resistance were discovered after extensive gene analysis using RNA-seq. 3,106 genes with differential expression were discovered. According to a KEGG enrichment study, the pathway 'Biosynthesis of ansamycins' is highly enriched in resistance to charcoal rot, followed by 'Flavone and flavonol biosynthesis. The most DEG's sequences have been linked to the ERF transcription factor, followed by a protein from the helix loop helix family (bHLH). Additional significant TFs include the MYB, NAC, and FAR1 family proteins which play important role in resistance to charcoal rot. This information generated could be used to devise a strategy for increasing soybean resistance to the disease caused by Macrophomina phaseolina.
