Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists have developed a new approach to countering citrus greening and potato zebra chip diseases, two economically devastating agricultural diseases in the U.S.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists have developed a new approach to countering citrus greening and potato zebra chip diseases, two economically devastating agricultural diseases in the U.S.
Their method uses spinach antimicrobial peptides, known as defensins, which naturally defend plants against a broad range of pathogens.
In a recent study published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, researchers showed that some spinach defensins can confer similar protection to citrus and potatoes — and possibly other crops. The effects show significant progress toward recovering yield and improving quality in diseased plants.
The study was led by Kranthi Mandadi, Ph.D., an AgriLife Research plant molecular biologist and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, located at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco.
Read more at: Texas A&M University
Citrus greening disease causes fruits to become smaller, irregularly shaped and bitter. The tree drops them earlier than normal and eventually becomes weaker and more prone to damage by other diseases and environmental stresses, ultimately resulting in billions of dollars in agricultural losses each year. (Photo Credit: Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife)
