Disease resistance

What is disease resistance?

Disease resistance refers to the ability of a plant to limit or withstand the growth and development of pathogens that cause disease. There are several types of disease resistance in plants:

• Horizontal resistance - provides resistance against multiple strains or races of a pathogen. It tends to be more durable over time.


• Vertical resistance - protects the plant from specific races or strains of a pathogen. This resistance can be overcome by new races of the pathogen, so it may not last over time.


• Qualitative resistance - resistance that is controlled by one or a few major genes. It generally provides high levels of protection, but only to specific pathogen races.


• Quantitative resistance - resistance that is controlled by multiple minor genes. It tends to provide partial protection against multiple races of a pathogen.

Plants have physical and biochemical mechanisms to defend themselves against pathogens. These disease resistance mechanisms include:

• Structural barriers like waxy layers, bark, and cell walls that block pathogen entry


• Production of antimicrobial compounds that kill or slow pathogen growth


• Hypersensitive response - programmed cell death to limit pathogen spread


• Systemic acquired resistance - heightened immune response after an initial exposure

Breeding crops with improved disease resistance is crucial for sustainable agriculture. Resistant varieties maintain higher yields, reduce pesticide usage, and decrease production costs for farmers.

At Hormone Harmony, our plant hormone treatments can help boost disease resistance by modulating plant immune responses. Our natural hormone-based products stimulate systemic acquired resistance and other key defense pathways. Talk to our plant health experts today about integrating disease resistance-enhancing hormones into your integrated pest management program!

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