Scientists from the University of Washington (USA) have discovered a special type of soil that suppresses pathogenic diseases and independently fights various parasites. The scientific portal Ensia writes about this.
Plants in these types of soil almost do not suffer from diseases, and if this happens, they quickly cope. They can withstand the entire spectrum of viruses: from tiny parasites to serious bacteria and fungi. Scientists have found that soils receive protective properties after several years of outbreaks of the disease. This is surprisingly similar to how people develop immunity to disease.
In one study, specialists identified strains of some plant protectors. As it turned out, they are called pseudomonads and are located in the so-called. suppressive soils. They produce antibiotics themselves by self-degradation. For the first time, such phenomena were recorded in the last century, but the first scientific explanation for them was given only now. For example, in 1990, Streptomyces pseudomonads were able to suppress scab on potatoes or radishes in one of the largest sites in Minnesota, and 30 years earlier, they helped wheat fight fungal diseases. In the near future, scientists plan to compile a database of such soils, determine their characteristics for cultivation and begin their mass inclusion in agricultural circulation.
The death of plants and parasites from various pathogens is a frequent phenomenon, and it gained momentum in the last century. Over the past 50-plus years, this has affected cocoa trees in Brazil, elms in the US and European countries, and nightshade crops in different countries of the world. And recently, many scientists have been horrified by the spread of banana disease, which is associated with global warming, which has made life easier for new types of bacteria. The discovery of scientists will help maintain food security for tens of millions of hungry people around the world, get super-yields for high profits, and minimize the use of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. The latter will also help protect nature.
The portal also said that plants can combat pathogens or weeds, protect themselves from drought and scare away pests and herbivores with the help of volatile organic compounds with a strong odor.
Source: https://rosng.ru