Managing Wound-Associated Diseases by Understanding Wound Healing in the Bark of Woody Plants

Abstract

New research findings have changed the way plant pathologists look at wound healing in the bark of woody plants. Research has shown that suberin in wounds has an important role in disease resistance. Its production is under genetic control and can be used to predict the susceptibility of breeding material to canker-causing microbes. In addition, studies on the influence of temperature and soil moisture have identified how these environmental factors affect the generation of new, suberized bark tissues. Management of woundassociated plant diseases through the improved understanding of wound responses may soon be a reality.