Crop pathogens 'remarkably adaptable'

Date:
June 11, 2020
Source:
University of Exeter
Summary:
Pathogens that attack agricultural crops show remarkable
adaptability to new climates and new plant hosts, new research
shows.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Pathogens that attack agricultural crops show remarkable adaptability
to new climates and new plant hosts, new research shows.


========================================================================== Researchers at the Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter
studied the temperature preferences and host plant diversity of hundreds
of fungi and oomycetes that attack our crops.

The researchers found that plant pathogens can specialise on particular temperatures or host plants, or have wide temperature or host ranges.

Lead author Professor Dan Bebber, a member of Exeter's Global Systems Institute, said: "Traditionally, scientists have considered species to
be specialists or generalists.

"Generalists are sometimes called 'Jack of all trades, master of
none'. Our analyses show that many plant pathogens are 'Jack of some
trades, master of others'." Tom Chaloner, an SWBIO DTP PhD student,
said: "We have collated the largest dataset on plant pathogen temperature responses, and made this available for the scientific community.

"Our data allow us to test some of the most fundamental questions in
ecology and evolution.

"For example, we found that temperature preferences are narrower when
pathogens are growing within plants, demonstrating the difference
between the so-called fundamental niche and the realised niche."
The researchers used recently-developed statistical methods to investigate
the co-evolution between pathogens and their hosts, showing that pathogens
can readily evolve to attack new host plants.

"In an era of growing global population size, climate change and emerging threats to crop production and food security, our findings will be key to understanding where and when pathogens could strike next," said co-author Professor Sarah Gurr.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Exeter. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Thomas M. Chaloner, Sarah J. Gurr, Daniel P. Bebber. Geometry and
evolution of the ecological niche in plant-associated
microbes. Nature Communications, 2020; 11 (1) DOI:
10.1038/s41467-020-16778-5 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200611094125.htm

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