b'INDUSTRY NEWS The rebrand is part of a year-long commemoration ofplant roots.FVGCs centennial anniversary that will culminate with a majorThe release notes the experiments also showed irrigation celebration at the 2023 AGM in Vancouver, B.C., the release says. causes substantial changes to the genetically diverse Pseudomonas population in the soil.The approach we describe should be applicable to a wide range of plant diseases because it is based on understanding the RESEARCH NEWS mechanisms of action that are important for biological control Blue Light Found to Reduce Potato Protection Againstagents, Alba Pacheco-Moreno, first author of the study, says in Late Blight the release.Researchers at the James Hutton Institute have discovered blueBy exploiting advances in high-speed genetic sequencing, the light reduces how potatoes can protect themselves against latemethod can screen the soil microbiome for therapeutic bacteria blight, a news release says. and work out which molecules are being produced to suppress Blue light was found to suppress plants usual immunepathogenic bacteria, the release notes. It can also show how response to a characteristic pathogen molecule and make thethese beneficial bugs are affected by agronomic factors such as host more susceptible to disease, Eleanor Gilroy, a molecularsoil type and irrigation.plant pathologist at the James Hutton Institute and co-author ofThe study was published in eLife.the study, says in the release.The group of researchers found while blue light is important for plant growth it inhibits the immune response of potato plants to Phytophthora infestans. This makes them more susceptible toNew Environmentally Friendly Control Method for Late potato late blight. Blight DiscoveredThe research team was led by Paul Birch from the UniversityA new environmentally friendly method, using spray-induced of Dundee. The team identified a signalling pathway in potatogene silencing, has been found to control late blight in potatoes, plant cells which negatively regulates immunity to the late blighta release says.pathogen, when stimulated with blue light. The method was crafted using double-stranded RNA, thats P infestans, the pathogen responsible for late blight, deliversknown to trigger a process which removes similar molecules several proteins into the host plant to manipulate host systemsfrom recipient cells. The release says researchers sprayed and cause disease, the release notes. The research team foundthe double-stranded RNA onto potato leaves infected with one of these proteins binds to an important control pointPhytophthora infestans and found a clear reduction in late blight between the plants response to blue light and immunity to late showing spray-induced gene silencing successfully inhibited blight. the development of the disease.We showed, for the first time, that spray-induced gene silencing can control late blight, Ramesh Vetukuri, a plant pathologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Study Discovers How Soil Bacteria Fights Common Scab who was involved with this research, says in the release. Our A study by researchers from the John Innes Centre isolated soilstudy is also the first to indicate that P. infestans sporangia can bacteria in a potato field finding how it protects potatoes fromtake up dsRNA from the surroundings and that it efficiently scab, a news release says.suppresses the expression of target genes.Hundreds of strains of Pseudomonas bacteria in soil werePreviously, intensive fungicide spraying has been the only isolated and tested, with the genomes of 69 strains beingeffective way to control the pathogen. The new spray-induced sequenced. The genomes were compared to show whichgene silencing is more environmentally friendly.suppressed pathogen activity, the release says. The team wasWe anticipate that using spray-induced gene silencing to then able to identify a key mechanism in some strains whichcontrol diseases will reduce the usage of chemical pesticides. protects potatoes from disease-causing bacteria. This technology can also be quickly adapted for new targets, By using a combination of chemistry, genetics and plantVetukuri says.infection experiments, the team showed the production of smallThe study was published in Phytopathyology. molecules called cyclic lipopeptides are important to the control of potato scab. The small molecules have an antibacterial effect on the pathogenic bacteria which cause common scab, and they help the protective Pseudomonas move around and colonize the DISEASE CONTROL FROM TOP TO BOTTOMDouble your power with Double Nickel that works on both soil-borne & 62SPUDSMART.COMfoliar diseases. Only 4 hour re-entry & Zero PHI for flexibility on your farm.Spring 2022WWW.UAP.CA'