Might seem counterintuitive, but some farm crops may be better if they let their defenses down.

One way to boost the productivity of a plant is to redirect some of its resources away from maintaining an overprepared immune system and into enhanced seed production. So say NSF-funded scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, who have found a gene that could help them tweak that balance. This is an NSF Multimedia Gallery item.
Source: NSF Multimedia Gallery - Category: Science Source Type: video