An ongoing study is showing how endophytes can increase a plant’s ability to defend itself against disease, ultimately hoping to create more efficient biostimulant-type products.
Purdue University Associate Professor of Horticulture Lori Hoagland is leading the trial that is looking for new measures to control Alternaria dauci in carrots for developing countries and organic systems. Hoagland and her team found that increasing some of the microbes in the soil acted as a vaccine for the plant by increasing its ability to fight off the disease.
In the latest episode of the Making Sense of Biologicals program, Hoagland details the research which showed how the bacteria-based endophytes showed the most impact on the plant’s immune health. “They acted in a way to boost the immune response in the plant. We did see some just general growth responses. Maybe they just help the plants to utilize nutrients inside of them but also probably inducing an immune response,” Hoagland said about the endophytes they isolated. “Kind of like a vaccine does for us in that it kind of makes the plant a little stronger so that when it does get infected by the pathogen, it’s better able to resist it.”
The are several commercial products that use these beneficial endophytes and Hoagland said the end goal of the research will be to isolate the most efficient microbes and develop even better products for growers.
Listen to the entire episode with Perdue University’s Lori Hoagland.
‘Making Sense of Biologicals’ is a series from AgNet West that dives into various topics with unbiased experts in the field of biologics to help the industry better understand the product category.
This episode of Making Sense of Biologicals is made possible by PureCrop1, an all-organic formula for ‘When you just want one tool that does it all.’ PureCrop1 is an insecticide, fungicide, biostimulant, and super-surfactant; containing only seven plant-based ingredients. PureCrop1 is naturally safe for the planet, humans, animals, and even beneficial insects. For more information, visit PureCrop1.com.