Fluorescent mushrooms (symbolic image)| Igor Omilaev
This makes the plants susceptible, similar to roses in viticulture, except that in this case it is strawberries in strawberry cultivation or tomatoes in tomato cultivation. In addition, the plant begins to glow when infested.
How do you make them glow?
From basic research, we know which genes are activated within a few hours of infestation by certain fungi, bacteria, or insects. The “control unit” of such a gene is called a promoter. If the gene behind the promoter is replaced with a so-called reporter, it is activated when infested. Reporters are often used in research to better study the activity of genes. A plant is made to glow by selecting this reporter from a gene cluster of, for example, bioluminescent fungi.
What are the advantages of your approach to controlling fungal infestation? What is innovative about it?
My approach enables automated, visual monitoring of a plant culture, which contributes to plant protection in a cost-effective and simple way. The molecular indicator plant is included in the culture and clearly shows the infestation before the first symptoms appear, giving the farmer a head start. He can contain the infestation, minimize losses, and carry out precise plant protection.