Health Experts Advocate for Induced Resistance in Plants.
Every year, health professionals urge individuals to receive the flu vaccine. This vaccine, like many others, contains small or inactive doses of the virus that causes the disease. By introducing this small amount into the body, the immune system is prompted to respond without causing illness. When the person later encounters the actual virus, their immune system is better prepared.
A recent review article by a group of international researchers suggests that a similar approach could be beneficial for plants. This concept, known as induced resistance, aims to trigger a plant’s immune system deliberately. This preparation helps the plant respond more effectively when it faces similar threats in the future.
Understanding Induced Resistance
While induced resistance is a promising strategy, it has its challenges. Although it provides long-lasting benefits, it cannot stand alone; additional methods must be used alongside it. Nevertheless, this approach is seen as sustainable and adaptable in our ever-changing world.
Current Crop Protection Practices
Currently, crops are primarily protected through pesticides and breeding for resistance genes. While these methods can be effective, they also come with drawbacks. Pesticides have negative effects on the environment, contributing to issues like colony collapse disorder in bees and contaminating water sources through runoff. Additionally, just as humans face antibiotic resistance, crops and pests can also develop resistance to certain pesticides.
In recent years, consumers have increasingly favored “organic” foods. This shift in preference has adversely affected farms that rely on pesticides or genetically modified crops.
The Advantages of Induced Resistance
Induced resistance can enhance a plant’s existing abilities, providing sustainable and broad protection against various pathogens and pests. One of the most common types of induced resistance is known as defense priming.
Similar to how human vaccines work, defense priming occurs when a part of the plant experiences stress. This stress weakly activates the plant’s defense mechanisms, which become fully engaged during a real attack. Research indicates that defense priming can even benefit the next generation of plants through epigenetic mechanisms.
Implementing induced resistance could offer more than just pest control. Some of the defensive compounds produced in response to induced resistance are associated with health benefits and higher nutritional quality. This means that humans could reduce pesticide use while also producing healthier food. Induced resistance can also respond faster than traditional breeding methods, allowing for quicker adaptation to changing climate conditions.
Challenges to Implementation
However, induced resistance does not provide complete protection and should be combined with other strategies. It must be carefully managed to ensure that it does not expose plants to new threats or hinder growth by diverting too many resources to defense.
Brigitte Mauch-Mani, the lead author and a professor at the University of Neuchâtel, stated, “Induced resistance results from a complex network of developmental and environmental pathways in the plant. Therefore, safely and effectively utilizing it is not as simple as introducing a single gene or applying one pesticide. Each situation requires an evaluation of optimal growth conditions, crop varieties, and agricultural practices to fully realize the benefits of induced resistance.”
Future Research and Collaboration
In their article published in Frontiers in Science, Mauch-Mani and her team emphasize the need for more research under real-world conditions. They stress the importance of developing scalable methods for field trials and full-scale agriculture to understand how induced resistance functions outside controlled environments.
The researchers also call for greater collaboration and legislative support to establish quality standards that protect both producers and consumers.
Mauch-Mani concluded, “We believe that fundamental research into induced resistance is crucial for transitioning to a truly sustainable food supply. However, there is an urgent need for improved communication between discovery-focused research and stakeholders who can help translate findings into practical applications.
Governments must foster a research environment and funding conditions that facilitate efficient knowledge exchange between scientists, policymakers, and industry. Just like the biology that underpins it, successfully leveraging induced resistance requires a multifaceted effort.”
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