The horticultural crops, including spices and plantation crops, are known for their enormous benefits, contributing to the country's economy. However, Phytophthora, a genus of Oomycetes class, poses a threat to spice and plantation crops by infecting and damaging them, resulting in yield losses, economic hardship for farmers, and food security concerns, thereby threatening the sustainability of spice and plantation crops. Moreover, Phytophthora has greater adaptation sys tems in varying environmental conditions. Therefore, eradicating or controlling Phytophthora is a highly challenging process due to the longevity of its infective propagules in soil. Early detection and curative measures would be more effective in managing this destructive pathogen. Additionally, molecular detection using innovative methods such as polymerase chain reaction, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, recombinase polymerase amplification, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification would offer reliable and rapid detection. Furthermore, integrated disease management strategies, combining cultural, physical, chemical, and biological methods, would prove highly beneficial in managing Phytophthora infections in spices and plantation crops. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the diversity, symptomatology, pathogenicity, and impact of Phytophthora diseases on prominent spice and plantation crops. Finally, our review explores the current disease reduction strategies and suggests future research directions to address the threat posed by Phytophthora to spices and plantation crops.

Plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) and fungi cause biotic stress and are responsible for considerable yield losses to different crops. PPN and fungi are very abundant microorganisms in soil and both interact with each other in multiple ways. PPN besides causing direct damage to plants, also possess capability to interact with fungi resulting into disease complexes. The PPN invasion in plant parts especially in root may enhance severity of fungal diseases in many instances. This review critically analyses the information on the combined nematode-fungus stress and economic losses caused by them. Combined PPN and fungal stress has been discussed which results into synergistic and additive interactions. Similarly, role of wounds created by nematode feeding, physiological changes in the host, modification in rhizosphere, breaking of host resistance and changes in the host plant due to combined interaction of PPN-fungus has been described. Role of PPN and fungus in antagonistic interaction has also been analysed. Role of microbial communities in the rhizosphere in influencing nematode-fungus interaction has also been discussed. Management of disease complexes using mixture of biocontrol agents and use of nanoparticles in integrated management has been suggested. Conclusion and future prospects have been discussed.