Researchers at The University of Queensland have discovered a new method for providing plants with near-complete resistance to Fusarium fungal rot in some plants.

Fusarium is a necrotropic fungus that causes root or crown rot, wilt, and some crops to die, such as wheat, barley, maize, potatoes, rice, cotton, tomatoes, and bananas.  Once established in field soil, the pathogen may persist indefinitely and will infect any non-resistant plants.  Currently, treatment or prevention of Fusarium is limited to fungicides or fallowing.  These are not economically viable options.

The research has shown that an extremely high level of resistance to Fusarium can be achieved by eliminating elements of the Jasmonic acid pathway. This commercially applicable discovery represents a huge leap forward in Fusarium resistance research.

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