Researchers at the University of Georgia have identified a promising approach to addressing a longstanding challenge for plant geneticists: balancing disease resistance and growth in plants.

The breakthrough could help protect plants from disease in the future while also promoting higher biomass yields to support sustainable food supplies for both humans and animals, production of biofuels and lumber, and more, according to the new study.

“Combating pathogens has been a top challenge in agriculture,” said C.J. Tsai, corresponding author of the study and a professor in UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “Solutions that balance disease resistance and growth are much needed, especially with the ever-increasing disease pressure due to climate change.”

New technology may enable farmers to keep plants safe from pests while not compromising growth

This discovery could have significant implications for crop productivity.

Salicylic acid is a well-known plant hormone that plays a vital role in enhancing disease resistance and tolerating stressors like extreme temperatures. Salicylic acid-based strategies have long been known to enhance resistance to pests and pathogens, but practical applications were hindered by the reduction in yield.

This study offers a method to separate growth suppression from the defense response, opening the door to use both salicylic acid and cold-regulated genes in agriculture without compromising crop success.

The team is already expanding its research by testing the approach on other crops like alfalfa, the “queen of forages.” The researchers will test the plant’s ability to grow with limited water and nutrient supply. If successful, the technology promises to generate climate-resilient crops.

This work, published in Plant Cell, was partially supported by the Georgia Research Alliance, the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Co-authors on the paper include María Ortega, Rhodesia Celoy, Francisco Chacon, Yinan Yuan, Liang-Jiao Xue, Saurabh Pandey, MaKenzie Drowns and Brian Kvitko.