Researchers from the University of Glasgow and Forman Christian College University, Pakistan, are pioneering an innovative approach to combat Cotton Leaf Curl Disease (CLCuD) through microbiota transplantation.

For decades CLCuD has ravaged cotton crops worldwide particularly in Southeast Asia. Pakistan, a major producer of high-quality cotton, faces significant challenges due to the biotic stresses affecting its cotton fields.

Consistent crop losses and yield reductions of up to 35% have pushed Pakistan’s textile industry to the brink of collapse. With an annual economic loss of $2 billion USD, the crisis poses a severe threat to the country’s economy and has become a pressing concern for sustainability scientists.

Traditional control methods such as chemical treatments and genetic modifications have yielded limited success. In response researchers are now exploring a groundbreaking strategy transplanting entire microbial communities from disease-resistant cotton species to vulnerable ones.

This research published in Communications Biology explores the transfer of rhizospheric (root-associated) and phyllospheric (leaf-associated) microbiota from Gossypium arboreum a naturally disease-resistant cotton species with limited use in fabric production to Gossypium hirsutum a highly valuable fabric-producing species that is highly susceptible to CLCuD.

Organ transplantation is a well-established concept in human health often associated with organ donations. But we wondered why not apply a similar idea to plants? What if plants could undergo their own form of transplantation? Not of organs but of something just as essential their microbiome says Ayesha Badar first author and PhD researcher on the study.

Preliminary findings suggest that rhizospheric microbiota transplantation significantly reduces disease incidence proving more effective than conventional treatments such as salicylic acid application.

After decades of struggling against CLCuV in Pakistan we are now harnessing the power of beneficial microbes to develop a sustainable biological solution for crop resilience. This research represents a fundamental shift from conventional disease management to leveraging nature’s own defense mechanisms.This research paves the way for sustainable agriculture by reducing reliance on chemical pesticides and enhancing natural plant defenses. With potential applications across various crops microbiota transplantation could revolutionize global plant disease management.

Source: https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_1152823_en.html