Tolerance of plant virus disease: Its genetic, physiological, and epidemiological significance

Plant viruses lead to biotic stress in plants, affecting  growth, reproductive fitness and yield. Tolerance of viruses and virus disease may provide a host defence mechanism against deleterious effects, but further physiological and epidemiological studies are required to determine the circumstances in which it can be effectively used for crop improveme nt. A broader view of stress tolerance incorporating both biotic and abiotic stressors is required as in some cases plant viruses have been shown to mitigate environmental stress. AbstractThe development and use of tolerance have been proposed as an alternative or complementary method to host resistance in the management of plant diseases, including those caused by viruses. There has been much ambiguity among plant pathologists, plant breeders, and agronomists in the meaning of tolerance and how it can be operationally defined, but a modern consensus seems to have emerged. Tolerance is a relative term that means a limited reduction in host plant fitness (reproduction or survival) in relation to pathogen load throughout or during a defined period of plant development and growth such as the reproductive stage. This emphasizes the need to study reproductive stage disease tolerance. Despite this apparent consensus, there remain questions over the use of model plant systems, the genetic background of tolerance, its physiological expression, and epidemiological consequences of its deployment in crops, in comparison with host resis...
Source: Food and Energy Security - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: REVIEW Source Type: research