Verticillium wilt of alfalfa: Occurrence, perniciousness, and detection

Verticillium wilt of alfalfa (VWA) is a devastating fungal disease caused by Verticillium alfalfa resulting in considerable economic loss for the alfalfa industry in Europe and North America, and is a national quarantine disease in China. In China, VWA was discovered in Xinjiang and Gansu Province in 1998 and 2014, respectively. This article summarises the systematics and morphology of V. alfalfae and describes the disease cycle, epidemic pattern, loss, diagnosis, control technology, spreading and occurrence, and the risk of VWA. Finally, it prospects further research in the future.