Genetic improvement of crop plants

The majority of important crop plants including soybean, maize and likely switchgrass rely on single-gene resistance to various diseases. However, this type of resistance often breaks down when the pathogen population loses or mutates the effector proteins. This instability in pathogen effector proteins has been the biggest challenge in controlling serious losses to plant disease, requiring breeders to repeatedly develop new varieties with different resistance genes. A UGA plant pathologist is focusing on the genetic improvement of maize and switchgrass. He has identified and characterized disease resistance and pathogenesis related genes that either confer or are associated with resistance to important crop plant diseases, specifically common and southern rust. This work will contribute to a framework for understanding the molecular and genetic basis of durable resistance and designing/improving methods to develop maize and switchgrass cultivars whose resistance to leaf rust pathogens lasts over time. This new knowledge base will direct discussion and initial steps to enhance natural resistance mechanisms in maize and switchgrass and similar crops.