Shades of gray: the world of quantitative disease resistance

Jesse A. Poland, Peter J. Balint-Kurti, Randall J. Wisser, Richard C. Pratt, Rebecca J. Nelson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

517 Scopus citations

Abstract

A thorough understanding of quantitative disease resistance (QDR) would contribute to the design and deployment of durably resistant crop cultivars. However, the molecular mechanisms that control QDR remain poorly understood, largely due to the incomplete and inconsistent nature of the resistance phenotype, which is usually conditioned by many loci of small effect. Here, we discuss recent advances in research on QDR. Based on inferences from analyses of the defense response and from the few isolated QDR genes, we suggest several plausible hypotheses for a range of mechanisms underlying QDR. We propose that a new generation of genetic resources, complemented by careful phenotypic analysis, will produce a deeper understanding of plant defense and more effective utilization of natural resistance alleles. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)21-29
Number of pages9
JournalTrends in Plant Science
Volume14
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2009
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Generated from Scopus record by KAUST IRTS on 2022-09-13

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Plant Science

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