A global concern is the anticipated shortage of agricultural outputs to meet the steadily rising human population. Scientists at Michigan State University understand and present that overcoming crop loss due to disease and adverse weather will be the key to achieving this goal.
The best example of this is the Irish Potato Famine that began in 1845, Ireland experienced from a storm of unusually cool, damp weather that provided the perfect environment for an exotic pathogen to thrive and destroy potato crops. As the primary food source, millions of Irish people died from the ensuing famine.
Warmer temperatures can also cause extensive crop loss. This is the critical correlation between changing temperature and plants' ability to fend off diseases.
Bethany Huot at Michigan State discovered that a plants' defense system can be compromised by pathogens or virulence. At the same time too. On a genetic level, high temperatures weaken plant defenses while strengthening bacterial attacks.
Something that helps combat this is salicylic acid, something plants make naturally, but at elevated temperatures this production process seems to cease, so scientists sprayed them with a makeshift salicyclic chemical that effectively protected plants from infection.
This is a much needed discovery, because even if climate issues are resolved, local fluctuations of weather in the environment will always occur and impact crop growth and yield.
Original Article found here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171127135821.htm
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