Microbes Team Up to Boost Plants' Stress Tolerance

Feb 17, 2013
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130217134321.htm

Summary:
Microbes can improve the hardiness of plants, which could lead to more sustainable agriculture, especially since global warming, city growth, and population growth put strain on sustainable agriculture. Marilyn Roossinck, professor of plant pathology and environmental microbiology and biology, and her colleagues found an example of plants and viruses working together to increase drought tolerance. Four different viruses and several different plants were tested. A common weed, lamb's quarter, was infected with a virus that caused a local infection, which actually boosted the plant's drought tolerance. In Yellowstone National Park, viruses and fungi collaborate to increase temperature hardiness. For example, tropical panic grass and fungi can grow together in temperatures above 125 degrees Fahrenheit, but die separated at the same heat levels. Similar to the fungi, a virus infecting a plant fungus made the plant resistant to increased heat. When the virus was cured from the plant fungus, the plant lost thermal tolerance; however, when the virus was reintroduced, the plant regained thermal tolerance. This research, and future research, may help the agricultural industry by developing hardier plants naturally, rather than relying on harmful chemicals.

Connection:
This article connects to our unit on microbes, because the article discusses plant fungi that help the plant grow. This means that the fungi is a mycorrhizal fungi, since it shares a symbiotic relationship with the plant. The article also connects to the Microbes unit because it shows how each partner needs the other, since the tropical panic grass and fungi together can resist heat, but separately will die.