Plant resistance: scientific basis and latest research progress
Sunil Kumaraswamy1, Yinghua Huang1,2
1Department of Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States.
Frontiers in Plant Science
|April 17, 2026
Summary
Plant resistance to pests and diseases is vital for sustainable agriculture. Advanced biotechnologies and traditional breeding enhance crop resilience, ensuring food security.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Agricultural science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Plant resistance is crucial for sustainable agriculture, reducing pesticide reliance and improving crop resilience.
- It involves constitutive and inducible defenses, including structural barriers, biochemical defenses, and signaling pathways.
- Understanding plant-pest interactions is key for effective management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the molecular, biochemical, and physiological aspects of plant resistance to insects and diseases.
- To highlight the role of biotechnology in developing enhanced and durable crop resistance.
- To emphasize the integration of traditional and modern breeding methods for resistant cultivars.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on plant-insect and plant-pathogen interactions.
- Analysis of advances in biotechnology, including CRISPR/Cas9, RNAi, and transgenic approaches.
- Integration of traditional breeding methods with marker-assisted and genomic selection.
Main Results:
- Biotechnology accelerates the development of crops with enhanced resistance.
- Integration of breeding methods improves the efficiency of developing resistant cultivars.
- Dissecting plant-pest interactions at multiple levels informs robust resistance strategies.
Conclusions:
- Plant resistance is essential for integrated pest management and crop improvement.
- Advanced technologies and integrated breeding are pivotal for sustainable pest management.
- Future research should focus on leveraging technology and integrating resistance with agronomic performance for global food security.
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