A new path to defeating crop-killing gray mold has been discovered by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The team found a way to manipulate a particular gene in a plant’s genome that can make it more resistant to the devastating fungal disease. This could potentially lead to significant food security gains for farmers around the world. The research could also have implications for the medical field, as gray mold is known to cause respiratory illnesses in humans.

The gray mold fungus, Botrytis cinerea, is a major agricultural pest. It can infect a wide variety of crops, including tomatoes, strawberries, and grapes, resulting in significant yield losses and reduced quality of produce. The team at UC Davis identified a gene in the tomato plant that could be used to create a genetically modified strain of tomatoes that would be resistant to gray mold. By manipulating this gene, they were able to create a strain of tomatoes that were far more resistant to the fungus. This could potentially lead to increased food security and improved crop yields for farmers in areas affected by the disease.

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source: Phys.org