Groundnut or peanut, is commonly called the poor man's nut. It is an important oilseed and food crop. Over past few decades, several varieties have been released for cultivation in different parts of India. However, most of these are susceptible to stem rot. The stem rot pathogen (Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.) has a very wide host range and the pathogen is causing heavy loss in groundnut crop. Stem rot disease causes a yield loss of 27% or more in India. So, the present study outlines the application of genetic engineering and biotechnology to exploit the knowledge of plant defensin genes in...