Background: Downy mildew disease caused by Sclerospora graminicola is a very destructive disease of pearl millet. The disease is known to occur in Asia and Africa wherever pearl millet is grown as a food and fodder crop.
Challenges: Current status of knowledge about the symptoms of disease, pathogen variability, epidemiology and disease management along with disease resistance has been discussed in detail. Recent approaches of disease management through biological control of the disease have been discussed at length with particular emphasis on the use of BABA, cerebrosides, enzymes, vitamins, botanicals and raw cow’s milk with Gliocladium virens.
Conclusion: Advances made in the field of developing disease resistant varieties using various breeding strategies and molecular approaches have also been discussed in detail.
