A study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology reveals that calcium plays a crucial role in enhancing the resistance of potato plants to bacterial wilt, a global disease that costs the potato industry $19 billion annually. Conducted by a team led by María Inés Siri from the University of the Republic in Uruguay, the study finds that higher calcium concentrations in potato genotypes are linked to greater resistance to the disease-causing bacterial group Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC). The research suggests that calcium amendments to soil could be a valuable strategy for integrated disease management. The study's innovative use of microfluidic chambers to monitor pathogen growth and biofilm formation offers a new method for understanding plant-pathogen interactions and developing effective disease management strategies.