Title : Primed for the Future: PGPR and the Promise of Sustainable, Heritable Crop Resilience
Abstract:
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Zero Hunger requires innovative strategies to ensure stable crop yields in the face of mounting global challenges. Developing disease-resistant crops offers a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides, which often harm the environment and disrupt ecosystems. In this context, plant pathology is increasingly focused on leveraging natural immune mechanisms to reduce chemical dependence. One such promising strategy is defense priming—a process that enhances a plant’s immune readiness, providing broad-spectrum protection with minimal metabolic cost. Plants possess an innate immune system capable of responding dynamically to pathogens. Through defense priming, they can "train" this system to react more swiftly and robustly to future threats. Notably, this primed state can be passed on to subsequent generations, offering durable, heritable resistance without the need for genetic modification. This study explores the potential of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) in triggering heritable immune priming in crops like wheat. PGPR-mediated priming significantly reduces disease susceptibility, bolstering crop resilience and contributing to long-term agricultural sustainability. By incorporating heritable defense priming into integrated crop protection strategies, we can lower reliance on chemical inputs, support ecological integrity, and advance food security. This paradigm-shifting approach aligns with SDG 2, offering a path toward resilient, climate-smart agriculture and a hunger-free future.
