Plant diseases cause very high agricultural and economic losses. To limit the damage, the idea of vaccinating plants has been germinating for several years. Where are we in its development?
Exposing plants to attenuated versions of the diseases that affect them is an idea that is increasingly making its way into the laboratories of agronomists.
While monoculture and global warming favor the dispersion of pathogens, this vaccination of plants could offer an interesting alternative to the massive use of pesticides, the deleterious effects of which are known to have on health and the environment.
Where are we in research on these plant vaccines? And will they be able to save crops from epidemics?
How to protect French vineyards against short-knot disease?
A report produced by Alexandre Morales.
This is the question asked by INRAE researchers Emmanuelle Vigne et Anne Sicardwho try the strategy of premunition. This is a form of vaccination, where healthy plants are inoculated with non-pathogenic variants of the virus to protect them from disease-causing variants. Report in the greenhouses of their Colmar laboratory.#Vaccination of #plants, new hope for reducing the use of #pesticides https://tinyurl.com/2bbfuxrm via @lefigaro.bsky.social
LA_SCIENCE_CQFD – Report
9 min
Epidemiologists note the multiplication of so-called “emerging” diseases
Find it thread of today’s show on the BlueSky thread of La Science, CQFD.
Plant vaccination, new hope for reducing pesticide use (Le Figaro, 2024)
Protecting crops with red marine algae, an alternative to pesticides? (TheConservation, 2024)
Micro-algae to treat vines (Le Monde, 2018)
Musical references
Today’s headline: Plants by Philippe Katerine
The opening credits: goca world by Altin Gun
The end credits: Pingpxng par Yin Yin
