Disease resistance refers to the ability of a plant to restrict, slow, or withstand the progression of a pathogen or insect that could cause disease. There are several types of disease resistance in plants, including horizontal resistance and vertical resistance.
Horizontal resistance involves many different plant genes each contributing a little bit of resistance to a pathogen. This type of resistance is generally more durable over time. Vertical resistance involves one or a few major resistance genes that confer stronger resistance, but this resistance is often overcome more quickly by pathogens.
Plants have various complex physical and chemical defense systems to ward off disease-causing organisms. These defense systems are usually activated upon detection of a potential pathogen. Structural barriers like thick cell walls, waxy cuticles, bark and abscission layers can act as physical barriers. Chemical barriers include toxins, enzymes, and secondary metabolites that have anti-microbial properties.
There are also differences in inherent susceptibility to diseases among plant varieties, called genetic resistance. Plant breeders utilize genetic resistance to develop crop varieties that are resistant to prevalent local diseases. Introducing resistance genes from wild relatives is a common method. Genetic engineering to insert specific resistance genes is also used.
Some key benefits of disease resistant crop varieties include:
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Induced systemic resistance is another interesting type of disease resistance in plants. Here, a controlled initial stress or infection primes and enhances the plant's defense systems to protect against subsequent stronger attacks. There are natural compounds that can activate induced resistance without causing disease, offering a chemical-free alternative strategy.
I hope this gives you a good overview of the various mechanisms behind disease resistance in plants! Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions.