Microbe-mediated biotic stress management in plants

Abstract

Biotic stress factors have a major impact on plants and cause extensive losses to crop production. Plants possess a range of defenses that can be actively expressed in response to pathogens. The timely activation of these defense responses is important and determines whether plant is able to cope or succumb to the challenge of a pathogen. Plant defense mechanisms which are involved in biotic stress management are classified as innate and induced plant response. Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR) are two forms of induced resistance; in both types of resistance, prior infection or treatment preconditions plant defenses leading to resistance (or tolerance) against further challenge by a pathogen. Identification of a number of biological and chemical elicitors has to a great extent helped in unraveling the understanding of the biochemical and physiological basis of ISR and SAR. Combining SAR and ISR can provide protection against a number of pathogens including the pathogens that resist through both pathways. The use of pesticides for the control of crop diseases and pests is however inefficient and not eco-friendly. Genetic engineering has enabled the cloning of genes and their insertion into the crop plants to make them resistant to different biotic stresses.