Abstract BACKGROUND Sugarcane pokkah boeng disease (PBD) has emerged as a global agricultural challenge, threatening sugarcane productivity and sustainability. Amid growing concerns about excessive chemical fungicide use, biocontrol strategies have gained traction as environmentally‐friendly alternatives. This study aims to establish the theoretical foundation for fusaricidin A against PBD, exploring its antifungal mechanisms and efficacy in managing the disease caused by Fusarium sacchari . RESULTS Fusaricidin A suppressed germination of F. sacchari conidia and provided protective efficacy against PBD in glasshouse assays. With the treatment of fusaricidin A, the conidia of F. sacchari were not well‐stacked, even ruptured and collapsed; the cell membrane showed irregular structure and no clear discernable level, with uneven thickness. Notably, treated cells displayed a significant increase in liposome accumulation. Fusaricidin A induced significant alterations in cellular physiology and gene expression in F. sacchari conidia. Fusaricidin A caused plasma membrane permeability disruption and enhanced spore apoptosis rate, accompanied by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in mitochondria. Transcriptomic analysis (RNA‐seq) and quantitative reverse‐transcription (qRT)‐PCR revealed upregulated expression of antioxidant genes GSH1, GSH2, SOD1 and SOD2 , indicating a cellular stress response to ROS overload. Concurrently, downregulated Mkk1 , Mpk1 and Swi4 , which are well‐characterized core genes in the cell wall integrity signal pathway, were identified, suggesting that fusaricidin A impairs conidial cell wall stability. CONCLUSION The potential antifungal mechanisms of fusaricidin A involve multifaceted antifungal effects through membrane damage, ROS‐mediated oxidative stress and disruption of cell wall integrity regulatory pathways. This study provides valuable insights for the effective management of plant fungal diseases and supports sustainable agricultural development. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.
Jiang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.