Disease resistance refers to the ability of an organism to limit the negative impacts of a pathogen or harmful microorganism. There are two main types of disease resistance:
Horizontal resistance provides resistance across multiple strains or races of a pathogen. This type of broad-spectrum resistance is controlled by many genes and provides durable protection against multiple pathogens.
Vertical resistance protects the plant against specific strains of a pathogen. This resistance often comes from a gene-for-gene interaction between the host and pathogen. Vertical resistance can break down if new pathogenic races arise.
Plants have evolved various complex physical and biochemical mechanisms of disease resistance:
Breeding disease-resistant crop varieties is crucial for sustainable agriculture. Combining vertical and horizontal resistance genes can provide durable, broad-spectrum protection against multiple pathogens. Genetic engineering and gene editing tools like CRISPR can rapidly introduce resistance genes.
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This overview covers the key mechanisms plants utilize to resist disease as well as modern approaches to breeding durable disease resistance. Let me know if you have any other questions!