Transgenic resistance to pathogens
22 March 2016 12:00

Plants are often suffering from infections with pathogens and this may reduce crop yield and quality. One important part of disease control is the use of resistant plants. However, for different reasons it may be difficult to obtain resistant plants using conventional breeding and genetic engineering is then an alternative. In the lecture, transgenic resistance to pathogens is discussed including the technology behind it as well as examples from field trials and commercial cultivars.

Literature: Colling DB, Jorgensen HJL, Lund OS, Lyngkjaer MF(2010) Engineering pathogen resistance in crop plants: Current trends and future prospects. Annual Review of Phytopathology 48: 269-291

Study question: Discuss why viruses have been a major target for transgenic resistance against pathogens in plants.