Gene identified to confer durable resistance to late blight
11 February 2021 |
Late blight continues to heavily impact potato yields
New research has identified one of the best genes to confer durable resistance to late blight in potato, the cause of the Irish potato famine in the 1840s.
The crop disease continues to reduce potato yields today and can cause devastating losses for farmers.
Resistance genes in plants provide protection by allowing the crop to perceive pathogenic microorganisms and upon perception, activate defence against them.
However, single resistance genes often act against a limited range of pathogen races and can be overcome by new variants.