(March 12, 2015) Spring
is just around the corner and for millions of Americans, that means planting a
garden with plenty of fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes. However, some
of the plants will be infected by bacteria, leading to stunted growth and less
nutritional value. Now, a University of Missouri research team has uncovered
new regulations of defense pathways for plants. This discovery could lead to
helping those home-grown tomatoes fight off certain bacteria better and has
implications for pear trees, roses, soybeans and rice.