Tan spot disease under the lenses of plant pathologists

Necrotrophic plant pathogens pose an important threat to crop production, and many fungi in the Pleosporales have caused the sudden emergence of major epidemics on cereal crops. Tan spot of wheat, caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, is one example, and since its emergence in the 1970s, scientists have explored its virulence and interactions with the host. In this chapter, our aim is to provide a comprehensive review of the most significant landmarks in tan spot research over the past 50 years from a plant pathology perspective.