Discovery of a gene that helps plants control their response to disease could aid efforts to develop crops that are resistant to infection, research suggests.
Discovery of a gene that helps plants control their response to disease could aid efforts to develop crops that are resistant to infection, research suggests.
The findings could lead to ways to fine-tune the gene’s activity to boost disease resistance, pointing towards more resilient crop breeds or new treatments for infections.
It could help curb crop losses incurred by plant diseases. These are the leading cause of crop losses worldwide, accounting for 10 per cent of lost produce in key varieties.
Fighting infection
Edinburgh scientists studied how, when plants are under attack from bacteria or viruses, they produce tiny amounts of a gas known as nitric oxide.
Read more at University of Edinburgh
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