Enhancing the plant immune response for improved disease control
This report details research directed towards the induction of systemic acquired resistance in vegetable brassica crops using salicylic acid. The work has progressed through three stages. First, “proof of concept” studies were conducted to determine whether SAR could be induced using salicylic acid in the model plant Arabidopsis. Second, SAR induction was demonstrated and optimised in a vegetable brassica crop, broccoli. Finally, trials were conducted to determine whether any observed effects were specific to the broccoli host pathogen pair or could be applied more widely across a range of brassica vegetable crops and brassica pathogens.