The present invention relates to a system for controlling the development
of fungi during a phytopathogenic attack which enables the plant to
express a construct for inhibiting the expression of a gene essential to
the development or to the pathogenicity of the fungus. The technology
used is based on the mechanism of RNA interference. The present invention
provides methods for producing plants resistant to a phytopathogenic
fungus, plant cells and plants resistant to a phytopathogenic fungus, and
methods of identifying a gene essential to the development or to the
pathogenicity of a phytopathogenic fungus.