The ability of plant viruses to propagate their genomes in host cells depends on many host factors. In the absence of an
agrochemical that specifically targets plant
viral infection cycles, one of the most effective methods for controlling
viral diseases in plants is taking advantage of the host plant's resistance machinery. Recessive resistance is conferred by a recessive gene mutation that encodes a host factor critical for
viral infection. It is a branch of the resistance machinery and, as an inherited characteristic, is very durable. Moreover, recessive resistance may be acquired by a deficiency in a negative regulator of plant defense responses, possibly due to the autoactivation of defense signaling. Eukaryotic translation
initiation factor (
eIF) 4E and
eIF4G and their
isoforms are the most widely exploited recessive resistance genes in several crop species, and they are effective against a subset of viral species. However, the establishment of efficient, recessive resistance-type
antiviral control strategies against a wider range of plant
viral diseases requires genetic resources other than eIF4Es. In this review, we focus on recent advances related to
antiviral recessive resistance genes evaluated in model plants and several crop species. We also address the roles of next-generation sequencing and genome editing technologies in improving plant genetic resources for recessive resistance-based
antiviral breeding in various crop species.