Japan: Stomata reduction benefits cabbages and oats for protection against bacterial pathogens

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba found that treatment with multiple amino acids protected cabbage and oat leaves from bacterial infection through a stomatal response. Plant diseases cause great damage to agriculture every year, but the means used to combat them sometimes create additional problems instead of a solution. Cabbage varieties from white cabbage to broccoli belong to the Brassicaceae family, which includes other economically important crops. Oats, from the Poaceae family of cereals, also have nutritional value, the importance of the crop is growing with understanding of the benefits of oats for soil health - in addition to the grain yield, oats are considered a popular cover plant, reducing erosion and enriching the soil with nutrients after biomass incorporation. The bacterium Pseudomonas cannabina pv. alisalensis (Pcal) plagues both cultures. In oats, it causes bacterial leaf spot, in cabbage late blight. Some common treatments include copper-containing ...