Curtin University-led research, which has found a way to assess plant disease development using infrared light, opens up new research avenues on the path to improving disease resistance in crops.
A research team from Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin’s Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) and Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), developed a new imaging approach that enables scientists to visualise the wax layer on the surface of plant leaves and monitor changes associated with the development of fungal disease.
Lead researcher and ARC-Future Fellow Dr Mark Hackett said the research revealed that wax on the surface of plant leaves reflected specific wavelengths of infrared light.
“As the wax layer on plant leaves is influenced by plant health, we can use infrared light to understand more about how plants respond to infection by pathogens,” Dr Hackett said.
Research co-author PhD student Karina Khambatta said the findings had tremendous future applications. Continue reading