The recent rate of emergence of pathogenic fungi that are resistant to the limited number of
commonly used antifungal agents is unprecedented. The azoles, for example, are used not …

Rice sheath blight disease, caused by the basidiomycetous necrotroph Rhizoctonia solani,
became one of the major threats to the rice cultivation worldwide, especially after the …

The shape of a plant's root system influences its ability to reach essential nutrients in the soil
and to acquire water during drought. Progress in engineering plant roots to optimize water …

Studies of promoters that largely regulate gene expression at the transcriptional level are
crucial for improving our basic understanding of gene regulation and will expand the toolbox …

Controlling plant disease has been a struggle for humankind since the advent of agriculture.
Studies of plant immune mechanisms have led to strategies of engineering resistant crops …

In agricultural production, abiotic stresses are known as the main disturbance leading to
negative impacts on crop performance. Research on elucidating plant defense mechanisms …

Rice is the staple diet of more than three billion people. Yields must double over the next 40
years if we are to sustain the nutritional needs of the ever-expanding global population …

Plant diseases cause massive losses in agriculture. Increasing the natural defenses of
plants may reduce the impact of phytopathogens on agricultural productivity. Pattern …

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant new class of non-coding∼ 20–24 nt small RNAs. To
date, 872 miRNAs, belonging to 42 families, have been identified in 71 plant species by …

Plants can respond to feeding or egg deposition by herbivorous arthropods by changing the
volatile blend that they emit. These herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) can attract …