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Do Droughts Make Plants Stronger? Disease Resistance in Barley
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Plant pathology
The genes that help plants survive harsh environmental conditions such as drought, cold, and salty soil, also help plants fight disease. However, when harsh conditions are reduced, plants can lower their resistance to disease, thus making them more vulnerable to infections. This is the case with barley, which can more easily suffer from the devastating powdery mildew disease when environmental stress, especially drought stress, is removed. Researchers from the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, U.K., are investigating this relationship to better understand the interaction between stressed plants and disease. Outcomes from this research will assist plant health, as well as forest health and management, as the leaves of both plants and trees function in similar ways.
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