Strawberry Fields to be Fungus-Free

Researchers at the University of Western Australia (UWA) have identified the molecular mechanisms that strawberry plants use to fight the soil-borne fungal infection Fusarium wilt, a serious threat worldwide to strawberry production. The researchers, all from UWA's School of Plant Biology and Institute of Agriculture, have determined the expressions and functions of different proteins found in the roots of a resistant strawberry cultivar called Festival, and compared them to the expressions in Camarosa, a highly susceptible cultivar. They identified 79 fungus-responsive proteins across the two cultivars.

The research will help develop new strawberry plants that are resistant to the fungus, and make strawberry planting easier for growers as they will use fewer anti-fungal chemicals, reducing input costs and lessening threat to human health and the environment.

For more information, read the news release at http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/201305215667/business-and-industry/strawberry-fields-forever-and-fungus-free.