Host Resistance

Plant diseases have a devastating impact on agricultural production every year. Evolution of pathogens, international travel and trade and alterations in climate play crucial roles in emergence and spread of commonly known and new diseases. Elucidation of mechanism(s) underlying host resistance and development of new disease management strategies that incorporate host resistance are essential in minimizing crop losses in a cost effective and environmentally safe manner. The Host Resistance Committee's primary mission is to foster awareness and disseminate information related to identifying mechanisms of resistance and integrated management strategies that improves the host's ability to defend itself against pathogen attack. The field of host resistance is at the core of Plant Pathology profession. Plant Health Management and Biology of Plant-Microbe/pest interactions are two key branches of APS vision for plant pathology for the 21st century and host plant resistance will be an integral component of these two branches. Host resistance will also be an important component of most integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Healthy plants are essential to secure a safe food and energy supply for a continuously growing global population in an environmentally safe and sustainable way and host resistance will play an important role in realizing higher yields to feed the growing population. Genomics will become a key component of host plant resistance research and will lead to development of new and enhanced resistant varieties.