What is disease resistance?
Disease resistance refers to the ability of a plant to limit or withstand the effects of a pathogen or insect that would cause disease. There are several types of disease resistance in plants:
- Horizontal resistance - provides resistance to multiple strains or races of a pathogen. It tends to be more durable over time.
- Vertical resistance - provides resistance to specific strains or races of a pathogen. This resistance is often controlled by a single gene and can be less durable.
- Qualitative resistance - resistance that is controlled by one or a few major genes and tends to provide complete protection or high levels of resistance.
- Quantitative resistance - resistance that is controlled by multiple minor genes and tends to provide partial protection through mechanisms like reduced pathogen growth or survival.
There are several ways that plants have developed disease resistance over time:
- Natural selection and evolution resulting in resistant varieties
- Traditional plant breeding methods to combine disease resistance traits
- Genetic engineering to insert resistance genes
Some benefits of disease resistant varieties include:
- Higher and more reliable yields for farmers
- Reduced pesticide usage, which benefits the environment
- Improved food security
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